Tuscan White Bean Purée
![Tuscan White Bean Purée](https://res.cloudinary.com/roundglass/image/upload/w_1600,ar_16:9,c_fill,g_face,f_auto/v1713387466/rg/collective/media/rg-food-tuscan-white-bean_0233-16x9-1713387465885.jpg)
Tuscan White Bean Purée
About this Recipe
This creamy spread is a culinary multitool. It can be a beautiful bed for braised or roasted things, is phenomenal spread on toast for bruschetta, and if you thin it a little with more stock you get a hearty soup.
The Benefits
Beans are loaded with protein and fiber, making them a super-healthy choice to base a meal on. The herbs and aromatics contribute a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, making this a highly nutritious dish.
Note: You can even skip the puréeing step and have yourself a bowl of fragrant white beans positively begging for a Roman-style artichoke to plunk down on top of them.
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
- 1/2 lb (225 g) dry navy, flageolet, or cannellini beans
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 4 sage leaves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable stock
- 4 Tbsp (60 ml) olive oil, divided
- Sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped fresh parsley or oregano for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
-
Step 1
Pick over the beans and then put them in a bowl, adding a pinch of salt and enough water to cover them by a couple of inches (5 cm). Let them sit out at room temperature overnight. The next day, drain them and put them in a pot with enough water to just cover them and add the garlic, salt, and onion, plus the thyme, sage, and bay leaf. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat to a gentle bubble, and cover the pot. Cook them until tender, about 45 minutes, checking now and then to make sure there’s enough water to keep the beans from drying out. -
Step 2
Remove the bay leaf and put the beans in a food processor with the stock and 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides a couple of times. Serve right away, drizzled with the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil and garnished with herbs and a few twists of pepper.
Substitutions: Other beans, lentils, and field peas also make lovely purées
Level Up: Add a hunk of parmesan rind to the bean pot for added umami
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About the author
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