Easy Creamy Miso Beans with Cabbage

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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.

Creamy miso beans with cabbage in a white bowl with a silver spoon.

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
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits
🌶️ Substitutions
📖 How to Make Creamy Miso Beans with Cabbage
✔️ Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🛒 Shop Nisha's Cookware and Products
🍽️ Related Recipes
🫙 Pairing
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🥬 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

Kale, cabbage, white beans, ginger, miso, nutritional yeast, hemp hearts, red chili pepper, green onion, and apple cider vinegar.

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.

Green onion cooking in a white saucepan.

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.

Green onion, garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper cooking in a white saucepan.

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.

Chopped kale, cabbage, and aromatics cooking in a white saucepan with a wooden spoon.

Add the cabbage and kale and cook them for about 2 minutes or until just tender.

Miso, hemp hearts, vinegar, nutritional yeast, and garlic in the canister of a blender.

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.

Beige liquid in the canister of a blender.

Blend on high until smooth.

White beans, veggies, and creamy vegan sauce in a white saucepan with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the liquid to the skillet. Add the white beans and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through.

Creamy miso beans with cabbage in a white saucepan with a wooden spoon.

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.

Creamy miso beans with cabbage on whole grain toasts.

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

Which white beans have the most protein?

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.

Can I use a different type of bean in this recipe?

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.