Beans on Toast
Here’s my take on Beans on Toast, a dish that defines the concept of comfort food in my home. It is British-inspired, and one of our favorite meals for busy weeknights. I love that it’s quick and easy to make. And you can easily double your batch of toast topping and freeze ahead for packed evenings when you have little time or bandwidth for cooking.
Using cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans) makes this meal high in protein and a great vegetarian option. Great Northern beans also work well. Cannellini beans have anti-inflammatory properties, and are brimming with:
Fiber
Folate
Magnesium
Vitamin B6
You won’t want to skip out on the spinach in this Beans and Toast recipe; it adds delicious depth to the beans and is full of iron, calcium, and folic acid (an essential nutrient, especially if you’re pregnant), as well as vitamins A, C, and K1. When you go to cook the spinach into the topping, it may seem like the full 10 ounces won’t fit in the pan. Rest assured that it cooks down a great deal and will eventually fit—I usually add it in small batches, letting each batch cook down before adding the next.
One of my favorite elements in this Beans on Toast recipe is the pesto (you can make your own, or use store-bought). Paired with the Campari tomatoes, it makes this dish so satisfying and smells amazing.
Any type of toast could work for this Beans on Toast recipe, but using sprouted whole grain bread offers many additional nutrients (including iron, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium) and adds a bit more protein than if you were to use white or whole wheat bread. Sprouted whole-grain bread is also easier to digest, because the sprouted grains contain enzymes that help the body break down the proteins and carbohydrates in the bread.
Toasting the bread while melting parmesan cheese on top isn’t necessary, but it adds a lot of flavor. While adding cheddar cheese to the beans makes the topping creamy and satisfying, the extra step of adding parmesan cheese to the toast and crisping the two up together adds a flavor and texture you won’t want to miss.
Enjoy!
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Beans on Toast Recipe
Beans on Toast
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 8 slices Sprouted whole grain bread
- 16 small Campari tomatoes chopped (about 2 pounds total)
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Distribute parmesan cheese over bread and toast in the toaster oven until cheese melts and bread is crisped. Remove from toaster and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in large, 3-quart brazier pan over medium heat, then add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes and then beans, stirring constantly until both begin to soften and mixture begins to bubble (about 4 minutes).
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add spinach a little at a time, stirring constantly just until all of the spinach is wilted and incorporated into the sauce. Remove from heat.
- Stir in cheddar cheese, pesto and salt. Mix until evenly distributed.
- Spoon bean mixture over toast and serve hot.
Notes
- This bean mixture freezes well and lasts in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Busy mom dinner hack: when you add this recipe to your meal plan, make double the mixture and freeze the extra for busy weekday evenings when all you have time to do is toast up some bread.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
806Fat
35Sat. Fat
13Carbs
84Fiber
18Net carbs
66Sugar
2Protein
41Sodium
1064Cholesterol
60
Products in this Recipe
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