SHRIMP AND CANNELLINI BEANS SKILLET

This shrimp and cannellini beans skillet recipe is a comforting, single pot meal that is light and flavorful.  Fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, hearty cannellini beans, and lean shrimp make this a satisfying and cozy dish.

I love this dish because it uses ingredients that I usually always have stocked, including cherry tomatoes, sweet mini bell peppers, shallots, garlic, and canned cannellini beans.  When combined with lean shrimp, spices, and water it creates a wonderful stew-like concoction!

Shrimp is so easy to prepare and so versatile.  When I do my grocery shopping I pack my small (3.1 cubic ft) refrigerator as full as possible with fresh meats and fresh produce.  This will typically last Aaron and me 5-7 days.  I have a very small flap-door freezer that I store meat in as well.  This is where frozen shrimp works great.  After I have eaten through some of the fresh meat in my fridge and there is space available, then I transfer the shrimp from the freezer to the refrigerator to unthaw overnight.  For some recipes, I select shrimp with the tail on for presentation purposes.  However, for this one, I knew I would want the tail removed so I went with that version.  I always buy the raw shrimp since it only takes a few minutes to cook (and to avoid overcooking precooked versions).

Since refrigeration space is limited in an RV it is a good habit to incorporate canned goods or other dry goods when you can.  Beans are a great example of this. Dried beans have many advantages over canned beans: they are more affordable, take less space, weigh less, and have less sodium/preservatives.  Canned beans do offer the convenience of faster preparation as they do not require soaking or cooking as the dried versions do.  I personally prefer to use the canned version only for the sake of convenience.  I encourage you to experiment with both versions and see which you prefer!

Looking for more recipes using white beans?  My Rosemary Pork Chops with White Bean Mash offers a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes.  For another single skillet meal, try out my Red Pepper Chicken Skillet.

Shrimp and Cannellini Beans Skillet

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Ingredients

  

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, strained and rinsed
• 1 shallot finely diced (60 grams)
• 3 small garlic cloves finely minced
• 1 dried chili or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 16 oz multi-colored cherry tomatoes
• 15 mini sweet peppers sliced into ½” rings
• 2 tsp salt divided
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper divided
• ¾ cup of water divided
• 1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp tails removed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 lemon juiced (about 4 tbls)
• 2 cups of kale or spinach chopped 85 grams
• 16 olives halved (as garnish)
• Basil chiffonades as garnish

Instructions

 

• Heat a large, tall walled skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil and then the beans. Spread beans out across the skillet and let sear for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the shallot, stir, and cook for a few minutes. Next add the garlic and the chili and cook for another minute.
• Next, add the tomatoes, sweet peppers, 1 tsp of salt, ½ tsp of pepper, and a splash of water. Stir to combine and cook for about 3-5 minutes
• Then, add another 1/2 cup of water and add shrimp in. Before mixing the shrimp in, season with remaining salt, pepper, and paprika, then fold the shrimp down into the mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the lemon juice and the greens. Continue stirring the greens until they wilt down.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Keyword Shrimp and Cannellini Beans Skillet