White Bean–Stuffed Potatoes

with Tahini Sauce

Creamy white beans and a lemon-tahini sauce turn a baked potato into a plant-based dinner.

A PLANT-BASED FILLING WITH TWO TEXTURES

AT A GLANCE

Tender potatoes filled with partly mashed white beans, topped with a smooth tahini sauce and served with steamed carrots.

Servings: 2 — one filled potato and a carrot side per person.

Time: 15 minutes of prep and 12–16 minutes of microwaving, partly overlapping; about 25–30 minutes overall. Oven potatoes require 50–65 minutes, plus preheating and filling.


Why it works

Mash some of the beans and leave the rest whole. The two textures help the filling feel creamy while keeping individual bites recognizable. Beans contribute protein, carbohydrate, and fiber; tahini, a sesame seed paste, becomes a pourable sauce when mixed with water and lemon.

Each serving contains 4¼ oz (120 g) drained beans. Consider how that amount fits your usual intake and tolerance. Rinsing does not guarantee that a serving will feel comfortable.

Mash only some of the beans: one ingredient can give the filling two different textures.

Ingredients

For 2 servings

Potatoes and filling

  • 2 potatoes, about 9 oz (250 g) each

  • 8½ oz (240 g) canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

  • About 1 teaspoon (5 g) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives

  • A little salt, optional

Sauce

  • About 1½ tablespoons (20 g) pure tahini

  • ¼ cup (60 ml) water

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Side

  • 7 oz (200 g) peeled carrots

  • About 1 teaspoon (5 g) extra-virgin olive oil

Weigh the beans after draining and rinsing. Add the water gradually to make a smooth, pourable tahini sauce.

Preparation

  1. Get the vegetables cooking. Scrub, check, and pierce the potatoes. Microwave at 800–900 watts for 12–16 minutes, turning halfway, or bake at 400 °F (about 200 °C) for 50–65 minutes, until tender. Steam carrot sticks for about 10–12 minutes.

  2. Whisk the sauce. Mix tahini and lemon, then gradually whisk in the water. Keep stirring if the mixture initially thickens; it should become smooth and pourable.

  3. Build the filling. When the potatoes are safe to handle, halve and partly scoop them out. Mash the scooped flesh with some of the beans. Fold in the remaining beans, half the sauce, chives, and 5 g of oil. Fill the skins, spoon the remaining sauce over them, and serve with carrots dressed in the final 5 g of oil.

Serving notes

Stir the sauce again before spooning it over the potatoes. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat to 165 °F throughout.

Useful substitutions

  • Other canned white beans can replace cannellini at the same drained, rinsed weight.

  • Chopped parsley can replace chives.

What this variation teaches

You can create two textures from one ingredient by mashing only part of it. A properly thinned sauce also spreads a measured amount of seasoning across the whole plate.



Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories: ≈440 kcal
Fat: ≈12 g
Protein: ≈15 g
Total carbohydrate (including fiber): ≈75 g
Fiber: ≈15 g
Total sugars: ≈7 g
Sodium, before added salt: ≈610 mg
Potassium: ≈1,660 mg

Includes the side and all the sauce. Bean values use a drained canned reference food; the brand, discarded liquid, and rinsing can change the result, particularly sodium.

Allergens: Sesame. Check tahini and other packaged ingredients for additions and relevant cross-contact statements.

When to choose this variation

  • When you want to use canned beans in something other than soup.

  • When an entirely plant-based dinner fits your plans.

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