Bread and Beans, the Italian way!

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Meet one of my favorite, no-frill, fresh-and-flavorful, speedy lunch: bread and beans. It requires just a few pantry 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.

Hands down this easy recipe, along with these smoky beans on toast, is one of the best meals when I’m short of time or I feel too lazy even for one of my quick pasta recipes.

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 that make a terrific combination, so crispy and deliciously fresh.

All you have to do is toast your bread and cook your beans to maximise the flavor. It takes minutes. But if you’re in a rush, it’s also fine if you simply mix the beans in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Easy peasy.

Making this bread and beans 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 bread and beans

(Note: this is a quick description with step-by-step photos, 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, stir in lemon juice and parsley.

• Top your crispy bread with the bean mixture.
• Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, cracked pepper and fresh parsley as well. Enjoy!

Recipe notes

Beans: I have a thing for 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 obviously dried/soaked/cooked beans instead of canned.

Bread: crusty artisanal bread such as sourdough or ciabatta makes a huge difference. Or what about making your homemade bread with this super easy panini bread recipe? Whatever bread you decide to 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 just about 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 own 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, adjust the seasoning to your taste.

More bean recipes?

I’m all about easy meatless meals and this website is full of recipes packed with affordable healthy beans that I’ve rounded up in this collection!
Here are a few recipes to inspire you:

• Pasta with black beans
• Cannellini bean salad
• Italian white bean soup
• 15 Recipes with cannellini beans
• White bean salad
• Lima bean soup
• Mediterranean bean salad
• White bean pasta

Lastly, if you make this bread and beans, let me know. Leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you guys and get your feedback!

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