We love hummus (see our recipe here) and eat it almost every day, but for a recent Farm House dinner, we wanted an appetizer with an Italian twist. White Bean Crostini was a perfect fit. Not only is it substantial, but it’s vegan, vegetarian, and can be gluten-free (see option below).
We started with a bag of Rancho Gordo Marcella beans, and cooked the beans in our electric pressure cooker (see here for instructions). We have this electric pressure cooker, but other good options would be this one and this one. Using an electric pressure cooker cuts the preparation time by more than half, and you can also use it to cook rice, quinoa, artichokes, and more.
Once your beans are cooked, this recipe comes together in minutes. You’ll need a food processor (we have this one), Microplane grater, and a large chef’s knife (we like this one and this one). Just add the beans to the food processor with the juice and zest of one lemon, two cloves of garlic (smashed with the side of your knife), salt, pepper, and pulse until well combined.
While the food processor is running, drizzle in olive oil until the mixture reaches the right consistency. It should be slightly stiff but still spreadable. Add the parsley last and pulse until just combined.
This spread is great served on fresh baked crostini. It also goes really well with our favorite arugula and walnut pesto. Just spread a thin layer of pesto on your crostini and top with a generous amount of white bean spread. We like to serve it on a board like this or this with spreaders. We liked these, these, and these.
- 1 lb dried white beans, such as Marcella or Cannelini
- 1 onion, cut in half and peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- Olive oil
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 handful of chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook the beans in an electric pressure cooker with the onion halves and bay leaves, see instructions here. In this case it is okay to let the beans get very soft.
- When the beans are finished, remove the onion halves and bay leaves and drain the beans. Add the beans, along with the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a food processor. Puree until very smooth, drizzling in olive oil as needed to make a smooth paste.
- When the beans reach the desired consistency, add the parsley and pulse a few times to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with crackers, pita chips, or homemade crostini. Try these for a gluten-free option.
