Tuscan White Bean Purée

Recipe 10 min (plus overnight soaking for the beans)Preparation Time 1 hourCooking Time

Tuscan White Bean Purée

10 min (plus overnight soaking for the beans)Preparation Time 1 hour Cooking Time

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