Creamy and hearty cannellini beans drizzled with a herby mint oil to be enjoyed as a main or a side dish with some warm crusty bread.
Cooking the beans
Beans are one of the most versatile foods out there which can be enjoyed in multiple ways. However, one of my favourite ways to eat beans is to simply enjoy them on their own and make them the star of the dish. Lately I have been cooking the beans myself, which is quite a lengthy process as you have to leave the dried beans to soak for quite a while and then cook them for another few hours. However, that isn’t the only option, as using canned beans is still quite as good. Especially, when it’s a busy day and you want something hearty but quick, canned beans are a life saver! Therefore, for this recipe you can use any type of beans you like.
Here I used cannellini, as they are the ones I had on hand. This mint oil will also taste delicious with chickpeas, white beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, etc.
Mint oil
This mint oil is a perfect addition to your beans. A big bunch of mint leaves are blitzed together with olive oil, lemon juice and salt to create this fresh and cool oil. After preparing and cooking my beans, I drizzled them generously with this mint oil. However, don’t stop there, you can also enjoy this herby oil on top of meats or even as a dressing. Just make sure to have few pieces of bread close by as you’ll be wanting to clean your plate afterwards and not leave a single drop of this yummy oil.
A main or side?
You can either serve this as a main dish together with fresh crusty bread or else as a side dish or even as an appetizer. I love having a generous plate of beans with mint oil, of course with bread and some jammy eggs on the side. Such a comfort meal!
Cannellini Beans with mint oil
Ingredients
For the Beans
- 800 g cannellini beans 2 cans
- 3 garlic cloves
- 100 ml vegetable stock
- 30 ml olive oil
- salt to taste
Mint oil
- 1/2 cup mint
- 60 ml olive oil
- juice of half a lemon
- salt to taste
Instructions
Mint oil
- In a food processor, blitz the mint leaves until they are nicely chopped. Add the olive oil and pulse until they are both emulsified together. Once ready, transfer to a bowl and season with the lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
Beans
- In a large pan heat the olive oil and gently cook the garlic for about 2 minutes.
- Add the beans together with the stock and let them soften up for a few minutes. Break about 1/3 of the beans with a fork and mix. Continue to cook until the beans are soft and there is a creamy sauce.
- Once ready, place the beans on a plate and generously drizzle with the mint oil.
- Serve immediately warm or cold. Enjoy!
If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. Please also rate this recipe by double clicking on the stars below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create!
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