Creamy Mushroom and White Bean Skillet

Ingredients

• 600 g chestnut or button mushrooms, sliced 5 mm thick
• 2 x 400 g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (about 480 g drained)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 15 g butter
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 250 ml low-salt vegetable stock
• 100 ml single cream
• 150 g baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 slices crusty bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Brown the mushrooms. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms in a loose layer. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until their liquid has mostly evaporated and edges colour. Lift out and repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms.
2. Soften the onion. Reduce heat to medium and melt the butter in the empty pan. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and thyme and cook for another 30 seconds. Scrape up the browned mushroom bits, but leave behind any blackened patches.
3. Add beans and stock. Return all mushrooms. Stir in drained beans and stock, then bring to a gentle simmer. Mash about 2 tablespoons of beans against the pan with the back of a spoon. Simmer for 4–5 minutes until the stock begins to look slightly creamy.
4. Finish the sauce. Lower the heat and stir in the cream. Add spinach by handfuls and fold until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Keep the sauce at a gentle bubble rather than a hard boil. If it is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time.
5. Balance the seasoning. Stir in lemon juice and black pepper. Taste before adding salt because stock and canned beans vary. The sauce should lightly coat the beans, with enough liquid to spoon up. Let a very loose sauce simmer briefly uncovered before serving.
6. Toast and serve. Toast the bread while the pan rests for a minute. Divide the beans, mushrooms and spinach among warm bowls, spooning over the sauce. Serve the toast on the side so it stays crisp until dipped. Offer extra lemon in small amounts rather than pouring it into the whole pan.

Tips and troubleshooting

Do not salt the mushrooms heavily at the start or crowd them into one wet pile. If they release lots of liquid, let it evaporate before moving on. Add the lemon near the end: a strong boil after adding acid and cream can make a smooth sauce look split.

Substitutions

Use butter beans for a larger bean with a softer texture. Unsweetened oat cooking cream and extra olive oil can replace dairy, with a different finish; check their ingredients. Chopped kale can replace spinach but needs a few extra minutes to soften.

Allergen notes

Contains milk from butter and cream, and usually wheat in the bread. Stock may contain celery, wheat or other allergens. Check any dairy-free alternative rather than assuming it is allergen-free.

Storage and reheating

Transfer leftovers to a shallow container, cool promptly and refrigerate. Use within 48 hours. Reheat gently until hot throughout, adding a splash of water to loosen the beans. Store bread separately; freezing this creamy sauce may change its texture.

Food safety guidance: FoodSafety.gov cooking temperatures and the Food Standards Agency home food fact checker. Follow local food-safety advice and ingredient use-by dates.