Roasted Red Pepper Beans with Goat Cheese and Pepitas

This may be one of my more special bean recipes, and I’m surprised because when I was clearing out my fridge, I didn’t think my old tin of roasted red peppers could turn into something so delicious. But I was quickly proved wrong, because now I firmly believe these Roasted Red Pepper Beans with Goat Cheese and Pepitas are in my top recipes of the year. And that is SAYING something!

This recipe harnesses my two favorite jarred ingredients: Roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. A match made in heaven. They both are packed with sweetness and acid, and they are supremely concentrated in flavor. The one thing this recipes does is let those flavors build and marry together. And then it adds cheese, because everything is better with cheese.

If you are looking for a weeknight meal that is sure to wow, or a weekend vegetarian treat for yourself – consider these beans. I promise you won’t be mad about it.

The ingredients you will need for these roasted red pepper beans

• 1/2 heaping cup of roasted red peppers, jarred but drained
• 1/2 heaping cup of sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
• 3 large Calabrian chilies
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, omit this if you do not like spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 15 ounce can of white beans, any variety, or 2 cups of homemade beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 6 ounces greens, such as spinach, kale, mustard greens, or Swiss chard
• 1 ounce firm goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Fresh parsley optional, for serving
• Toast or white rice, for serving

The goat cheese I recommend for this recipe

I love using Cypress Grove goat cheese for this recipe. It crumbles so well and is such a high-quality balance to the rich, umami, and tomatoey flavors of the dish! If you can get their Humboldt Fog, it’s a splurge, but so worth it.

Substitution suggestions for these beans

• ROASTED RED PEPPERS – you can sub this for freshly roasted red peppers (just roast the peppers at 375°F until softened, then peel and slice), you can also substitute this for more sun-dried tomatoes, or jarred yellow peppers or a very mild harissa paste.
• SUN-DRIED TOMATOES – you can substitute in 1/4 heaping cup of tomato paste, or a 14-ounce jar of whole canned tomatoes, which you can crush with your hands.
• CALABRIAN CHILIES – You can swap these for 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili paste, or you can just add 1 extra teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
• RED PEPPER FLAKES – Swap for Aleppo pepper flakes or one birdseye chili
• CUMIN SEEDS – swap for 1/2 the amount of ground cumin
• DRIED OREGANO – swap for fresh oregano, or dried basil
• WHITE BEANS – use any bean, lentils or chickpeas in its place
• PUMPKIN SEEDS – you can switch these for hazelnuts, toasted almonds, anything with some crunch!
• GOAT CHEESE – switch this up with ricotta
• LEMON ZEST – you can omit this, or use just a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to finish.
• PARSLEY – swap this for any tender herb like mint, oregano, chives, etc.

Looking for other vegetarian main dishes?

Here are a few favorites!

Congee with Brown Butter Gochujang Tofu

Congee is a short-grain rice porridge and is one of my favorite ways to make a small amount of ingredients yield a large amount of (filling!) food. When I am looking for a comforting, healthy dinner, this simple congee and bright, warming gochujang tofu is easy to whip up. The tofu is seared and them simmered in the spicy-sweet gochujang sauce, and a little richness from the brown butter goes a long way. It's one of my favorite weeknight dinners.

Check out this recipe

Kabocha Squash Bowl with Golden Raisin & Kalamata Olive Dressing

This is my ideal way to turn a winter squash into a full, filling, plant-based meal. Plus, it's overwhelming with flavor. Golden raisins and kalamata olives make a sweet-and-salty combination that will blow your mind. I learned it from one of my chef friends and have been dying to put it on sweet winter squash ever since. This bowl harnesses that flavor but turns it into a meal-preppable lunch by adding rice, chickpeas, and some herbs for freshness. What you're left with is a winter bowl to keep on repeat!

Check out this recipe

Carrot Ginger Hummus Bowl with Sesame Garlic

This plant-based bowl of nourishment was hard to name – there's a lot going on here! But trust me, it all works together perfectly. The bowl starts with a base of carrot ginger hummus, then a mixture of rice, broccoli and edamame goes on top. Finish the bowl with fried ginger, garlic and sesame seeds and use the excess oil to make a honey ginger dressing. Nothing goes to waste, and the contrast of textures, flavors and vegetables is absolutely addictive.

Check out this recipe

And that’s it for these Roasted Red Pepper Beans with Goat Cheese and Pepitas!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Roasted Red Pepper Beans with Goat Cheese and Pepitas

5 from 1 vote

These beans have quickly become one of my favorite bean recipes. The recipe harnesses the best of sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers. It turns two pantry staples into deeply rich, concentrated flavor that caramelizes slowly around sizzled beans and greens. This meal is fully vegetarian and wonderfully wholesome, but the layers of flavor will keep you thrilled with every bite. I can't stop thinking about it, and I miss it already.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:25 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Fusion, Mediterranean

Keyword: beans, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, vegetarian

Servings: 2 to 3 people

Equipment

• 1 high sided sauté pan

Ingredients

• 1/2 heaping cup of roasted red peppers jarred but drained
• 1/2 heaping cup of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 3 large Calabrian chilies
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes omit this if you do not like spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 15 ounce can of white beans any variety, or 2 cups of homemade beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 6 ounces greens, such as spinach kale, mustard greens, or Swiss chard
• 1 ounce firm goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Fresh parsley optional, for serving
• Toast or white rice for serving

Instructions

• Roughly chop 1/2 cup of roasted red peppers and 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes. Thinly slice 3 Calabrian chilies. Set these aside.
• If you have a bit of reserved oil left in the sun-dried tomato jar, pour 3 tablespoons worth into a large sauté pan or skillet. If you do not have any, use extra-virgin olive oil instead.
• Set the pan over medium heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano. Stir to combine the spices with the oil and let them begin to sizzle.
• As soon as the oil is hot enough to the point where the spices are sizzling, add the chopped red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, letting the roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes sizzle until they are nearly indistinguishable from each other and smell fantastic.
• Add the chilies and cook another 2-3 minutes. Everything should begin to meld into one darker, sizzling red paste.
• Pour in the beans and give everything a gentle stir. Cover the pan and let everything simmer for 3-4 minutes.
• While the pan is covered, set another small sauté pan on the burner to the side and place it over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds and toast for 3-4 minutes, or until the seeds have begin to smell fragrant – a few might pop. Remove from the heat.
• Remove the cover from the pan with the beans, taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Tear in 6 ounces of greens and mix them in to the pan to allow them to wilt into the mixture.
• Cook a final 5 minutes or so to let the greens get tender.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Crumble in the goat cheese. Grate over 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest. Taste and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice as preferred. (I find the tomatoes and lemon zest are enough acid for me, but I like to provide the option).
• Scatter fresh parsley over the top and enjoy with crusty bread.

Notes

Note** The onions you see in the photos are from my brothy beans recipe, since these beans were cooked from dry. To learn how to cook your own beans, use the recipe here.