20-minute easy weeknight creamy Miso Beans with Cabbage! Packed with high-protein white beans and the antioxidant-rich duo of kale (a low-oxalate green) and cabbage (a powerhouse cruciferous vegetable), this dish is a nutrient-dense easy weeknight dinner.
This miso bean recipe was inspired by my Dense Bean Salad and Protein Bean Salad on this site.
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🥬 Why This Recipe is Nutritious
High-protein white beans provide plant-based protein, kale offers a low-oxalate option for greens, and cabbage contributes gut-healthy fiber and the powerful benefits of cruciferous vegetables. A little trick of cutting these veggies at least 40 minutes before cooking, or adding a pinch of mustard powder, restores anti-cacer sulforphane.
Miso adds a savory depth and may not raise blood pressure in the same way that salt does. Garlic boosts iron and zinc absorption, and nutritional yeast delivers a cheesy flavor along with B vitamins. Finally, hemp hearts provide protein and heart-healthy fats to round out this balanced, plant-based dish.
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits
- White beans have a high nutrient density. They are fairly low in calories, with a high fiber and protein content.
- Cabbage, a cruciferous vegetable, is a powerhouse of nutrients, providing fiber, vitamin C, and sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is recognized for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties and ability to boost liver detox enzymes, supporting the body’s natural detoxification process.
- Kale is unique among cruciferous vegetables, retaining its glucosinolates even after cooking.
- Ginger: A daily teaspoon of ginger powder can significantly lower blood sugar levels and improve long-term control, offering a simple, safe, and effective way to support overall health.
- Miso adds a boost of umami flavor to the creamy sauce.
- Nutritional yeast adds a rich, savory, cheese-like flavor and helps thicken dressings. If you're looking to boost your B vitamin intake, opt for fortified nutritional yeast, which often includes B12. (See my brands for fortified and unfortified here.)
- Garlic and green onion boost iron and zinc absorption.
- Apple cider vinegar: Consuming vinegar with a meal helps reduce spikes in blood sugar, insulin, and triglycerides, and it seems to be especially effective for individuals who are insulin resistant or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Hemp hearts boost protien in the creamy white sauce.
- Red chili peppers: Four studies on spicy food and mortality consistently found a significant reduction in the risk of premature death, suggesting potential benefits linked to capsaicin, the compound responsible for the heat in chili peppers.
See the printable recipe card below for quantities.
🌶️ Substitutions
- Kale - substitute with chopped greens (spinach, bok choy, collards, swiss chard)
- Cabbage - use red cabbage for the most antioxidants (red cabbage may contain eight times more antioxidants than green)
- Beans - use cannellini, navy, pinto, butterbeans, lima beans, or chickpeas
- Red chili pepper - omit for nonspicy or substitute for one-quarter medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
- Green onion - substitute with about ⅓ cup chopped onion
- Ginger - omit as needed
- Dried herbs - add marjoram, oregano, thyme, basil, or herbs you have on hand
- Nutritional yeast - omit as needed
For more protein-packed bean dishes, visit my Vegan Bean Recipes page.
📖 How to Make Creamy Miso Beans with Cabbage
This is an overview. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.
- Cook the onion: Heat the oil or broth in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the green onions for about 1 minute, or until softened.
- Add the aromatics: Transfer the garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper to the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds more, or until fragrant, adding more broth or oil as needed.
- Add the cabbage and kale and cook them for about 2 minutes or until just tender.
- Make the sauce: Meanwhile, transfer ¼ cup white beans, the hemp hearts, nutritional yeast, miso, apple cider vinegar, and water or broth to the canister of a blender.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Transfer the liquid to the skillet. Add the white beans and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon to thicken the sauce. Add more water or broth as desired. Add a dash of mustard powder and mix well.
- For serving: Serve over wholegrain crispy toasts, or with a whole grain of your choice.
✔️ Expert Tips
- For more flavor, use veggie broth instead of water in the sauce.
- For an oil-free option, sauté the aromatics in broth instead of olive oil.
- To maximize the cancer-fighting benefits of cruciferous cabbage and kale in this recipe, chop them at least 40 minutes before cooking to activate sulforaphane, or add a pinch of mustard powder to the dish after cooking to restore these beneficial compounds.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Among white beans, lima beans typically have the highest protein content per serving, followed closely by cannellini beans and navy beans. For example, lima beans provide about 15 grams of protein per cup (cooked), while cannellini and navy beans offer around 14 grams per cup.
Yes! Substitute white beans with other high-protein options like pinto beans, chickpeas, or even lentils, though the flavor and texture may vary slightly. White beans are recommended for their creamy texture and mild flavor, which pair perfectly with the miso and cabbage.
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Easy Miso Beans with Cabbage
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Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil, broth, or water
- 3 green onion (white and green parts),minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ inch ginger minced
- 1 red chili pepper minced
- 1 cup chopped cabbage
- 1 cup chopped kale
For the miso sauce:
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon mellow miso (white miso)
- 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup water or vegetable broth
Other:
- 1 ½ cups white beans (cannellini, navy, Great Northern, butter, or lima beans)*
- Dash of mustard powder
Instructions
- Heat the oil or broth in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the green onions for about 1 minute, or until softened.
- Cook the aromatics: Add the garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper and cook for about 30 seconds more, or until fragrant, adding more broth or oil as needed.
- Add the cabbage and kale and cook them for about 2 minutes more, or until just tender.
- Make the dressing: Meanwhile, transfer ¼ cup white beans, the hemp hearts, nutritional yeast, miso, apple cider vinegar, and water or broth to the canister of a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
- Transfer the liquid to the skillet. Add the remaining white beans and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon to thicken the sauce. Add more water or broth as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Francisca Lizotte says
This is so delicious! Prepped it for camping and my friends were so happy and impressed. I love everything you share ! Thank you for enriching our lives 👩🏽🌾💌
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Your comment truly means a lot to me—thank you for taking the time to share such kind words.
TexKat says
OMG! A friend shared a large container of her homemade white bean soup. I had just a little over a cup left and wanted to "stretch" it into another meal for two. I came to your site, found this FABULOUS recipe and whipped it up in a flash. It is SOOOOOO good! Hubby and I fought over the 3rd serving. We were licking the spatula and scraping the pan. So impressed with the depth and complexity of flavor from pantry staple ingredients. Thank you, thank you for continuing to create and offer amazing recipes. This is now on heavy rotation.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Awww what a lovely comment. Thank you for taking the time to let me know you both enjoyed it and how you found the recipe. I appreciate it!
Suz says
Great, clear, easy to do recipes with valuable cutting-edge nutritional scholarship. What's not to like. Thanks, Nisha!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you so much. Truly appreciate you being here!
Sharon says
I made this to use a head of cabbage sitting sadly in the fridge and it was so moreish I nearly ate the whole thing myself! Had no kale, one sad spring onion but all other ingredients in the store cupboard and whipped up along with toasted sourdough. Brilliant!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it! It's simple but tasty! Thank you.
Kayla Smith says
Sooooo good and flavorful! I added 12oz of broth at the end to make it more soupy. Also added package of mushrooms. Another banger!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love the addition of mushrooms. Thank you for sharing.
Candace Smith says
Such an easy dish. It is so flavorful and such a comforting meal. This has become my favorite of all your fantastic recipes that I have tried thus far. Thank you Nisha. This one is a winner!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm thrilled to read that you are enjoying them. Thank you for letting me know. Have a great week.
Caitlin says
This was delicious!I used regular onions instead of green onions, but everything else I kept the same. Great dish!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for leaving a comment. I am thrilled you enjoyed these beans.
Christine says
Just tried this the other night and I was amazed at how much I loved it! I have to admit to not holding out a lot of hope for this recipe only because, A) white bean B) so few ingredients (taste) WOW, never judge a book and all that, ‘cause this was better then MANY of the bean based bowl meals I’ve had. Just so surprised (was it the miso?) at the flavours and it’s now a go to comfort food for me.
Thank you Nisha, out of the park again!
Christine
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
This post does not seem to attract people because of its simplicity, but I keep trying to encourage people to try it as I really enjoy it! I am not even sure how it comes together so well, but I think that the cabbage absorbs the miso flavor and packs umami into the beans! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Ada says
I just had a serving of these delicious beans over a small amount of brown rice/quinoa. They were absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as you shared it. I would eat the whole pan because I love the flavor so much, but one helping was very hearty. I can’t wait to have more for dinner.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! Please keep them coming🙂
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Awww makes my day to read how much you enjoyed them. Thank you.
Steph says
Easy and yummy. Had to add a little liquid aminos at the end since I didn't use broth. My husband thinks it tastes similar to pad Thai. Maybe because I substituted toasted sesame seeds instead of hemp hearts.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Sounds delicious. Thank you.
Cindy says
Very good! I didn't have hemp hearts so I used chia seeds. What substitutes would you recommend?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
You might try hummus instead of the hemp hearts!
Chris says
So simple and so amazing! Made a double batch for the four of us and zero leftovers. Everybody loved. Added to the family faves. Thank you!!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear!!! Thank you for trying the recipe! I love miso beans:)
Allison says
Delish! I made a double batch of the sauce and increased the beans. It tasted so good that I opted to drench the veggies/beans and serve with a side of rice. Any other suggestions for what sides the meal can be paired with?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you. A double batch is a good idea! I also enjoy it with farro and barley! I have started eating purple barley lately!
Lupe says
Just made this and it is sooooo good! It's easy and quick to make and so very tasty. Thanks for sharing. I will definitely be making this again!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy you enjoyed it! I find it is so simple and healthy.
Violet says
Tastes really good, healthy, and is cheap and fast to make.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! So glad you tried it as I love this recipe! Thank you for commenting.
Rachel says
This was so delicious
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear! It's my new fave! Thank you for commenting.