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Meet one of my favorite, no-frills, fresh-and-flavorful, speedy lunches: beans and bread. It requires a few pantry staples, is ready in 10 minutes, and tastes so good.
It’s vegan and makes a lovely quick lunch, snack, or appetizer.
Hands down, this easy recipe, along with these , is one of the best meals when I’m short of time, or I feel too lazy even for one of my
To be more precise, this is more like the Italian bean bruschetta rather than the classic British bread and beans.
You’ll have fluffy white beans, fruity extra virgin olive oil, garlic, herbs and bright lemon juice here. Simple, amazing ingredients make a terrific combination, so crispy and deliciously fresh.
To maximize the flavor, toast your bread and cook your beans. It takes minutes. But if you’re in a rush, you can also simply mix the beans in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Easy peasy.
Making these beans and bread the Italian way is a no-brainer and gets you in and out of the kitchen in a snap.
Serve it as a light supper, a starter, or a delightful appetizer for your next summer party!
List of the ingredients
- Crusty bread
- Canned white beans
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon juice
- Chili flakes
- Salt & pepper
How to make beans and bread
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Slice and toast your bread until crispy and golden.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet along with garlic and chili flakes.
- Toss in the beans, salt, pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and stir in lemon juice and parsley.
Recipe notes
Beans: I love cannellini beans with their fluffy texture and delicate flavor, but any beans work just fine. I used canned beans for convenience here, but you can use dried/soaked/cooked beans instead of canned.
Bread: Crusty artisanal bread such as sourdough or ciabatta makes a huge difference. You can also make your homemade bread with this super easy . Whatever bread you use, you‘ll want it crusty and crispy.
Garlic: For a delicious garlic bite. Feel free to adjust the quantity to your liking.
Extra virgin olive oil: If you ask me, this is the best vegetable oil that Italians use for everything. I used only ½ Tablespoon of olive oil to cook the beans, but I suggest an extra drizzle before serving to enhance its fresh flavor.
Herbs: I usually use parsley when I make my beans and bread, but fresh parsley or thyme work, too.
Chili flakes: For a delicious touch of heat, but it’s optional.
Salt & pepper: Make sure the flavor pops, and season to taste.
More bean recipes?
I’m all about easy meatless meals, and this website is full of recipes packed with affordable, healthy beans—round-up and
Here are a few recipes to inspire you:
Lastly, if you make this bread and beans, let me know. Leave a comment and/or rate the recipe. I would love to hear from you guys and get your feedback!
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Beans and Bread. the Italian way!
This no-frill, fresh-and-flavorful, speedy beans and bread requires just a few staples, it's ready in less than 10 minutes and tastes soooo good. It's also vegan and makes a lovely quick lunch, snack or crowd-pleaser appetizer. Recipe yields two large servings (if you use 2 slices of sourdough bread as I did) or 4 smaller servings (if you use 4 slices of ciabatta bread).
Ingredients
- 2 large slices of sourdough bread (or 4 slices of ciabatta)
- ½ Tablespoon
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 can white beans, drained (or any other beans)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Slice your crusty bread and toast the slices until crispy and golden.
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, for about 40-50 seconds (don't burn the garlic).
- Toss in the drained beans, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, add lemon juice and parsley, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Top the slices of bread with the bean mixture, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and add extra freshly ground black pepper and parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
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