Chilli butter beans on toast

Some of my favourite dishes involve piles of delicious toppings on toast – in fact, it‘s my go-to lunch option. Whether its a slick of hummus with greens, tahini and roasted veg, a creamy almond cheese with fruit and maple syrup, or these lovely beans, toast is the ideal vehicle for all sorts of deliciousness!

Topping combinations are endless, and once you have a good thick slice of your favourite bread warming in the toaster, you're halfway there.

My favourite is a classic sourdough – but this recipe isn't about the toast, delicious as it is: it's all about the beans, which happen to be delicious served on toast, as a side dish, or topped with roasted veggies.

You can also add any extras you like – sautéed kale or spinach, fresh herbs and a sprinkling of seeds is a great combination.

This super-simple store-cupboard recipe can easily be adapted to suit the season and your mood, which is always my favourite kind of recipe.

PREP TIME:
10 mins

TOTAL TIME:
30 mins

COOK TIME:
20mins

SERVES:
02-04

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

For the beans

600g butter beans (the best quality you can afford)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 organic veggie stock cube or stock pot

3 cloves garlic, bashed

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp white miso paste

½-1 tsp chilli flakes

A few sprigs of fresh herbs – I use thyme

To serve

1 tbsp light oil, such as groundnut

3-4 small courgettes, grated

4 thick slices sourdough bread

Chilli flakes

Zest of half a lemon

Extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Instructions

Empty the butter beans into a medium pan. If you're using jarred beans, add the liquid too, and if you're using tinned, rinse them first.
Add the remaining bean ingredients and a generous grinding of black pepper to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
Cook for abut 15 mins, and check for seasoning – you might want to add some more black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Just before you're ready to serve, heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the grated courgette, and sauté gently for a few minutes – you want it to be warmed through, not cooked down.
Meanwhile, toast 4 thick slices of sourdough bread, and place them in the bottom of 4 bowls.
Remove the garlic cloves from the beans, then top each piece of toast with plenty of beans, a few spoonfuls of sautéed courgette, a sprinkling of chilli flakes and some lemon zest. Finish with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.