White Beans with Spinach Puree
Submitted by dpettus
Creamy white beans bound with garlicky spinach puree and soft bread crumbs, seasoned with oregano and thyme. A hearty, plant-based side dish with earthy flavor.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsThink of this as the rustic Italian grandmother dish nobody wrote down but everybody remembers.
Tender white beans, cooked from dried with a bay leaf, get folded into a vibrant green spinach puree spiked with garlic, oregano, and thyme. Soft bread crumbs bind it all together into something that’s part side dish, part spread, part comfort food.
Serve it slightly warm alongside crusty bread, or spoon it next to grilled fish or roasted chicken. It’s simple, nourishing, and quietly stunning on the plate.
Pro Tips
- Soak the beans overnight for even cooking. If you’re short on time, a quick soak (boil for 1 minute, cover, let sit 1 hour) works too.
- Squeeze the thawed spinach dry before pureeing. Excess water will make the mixture too loose.
- Use white pepper instead of black here. It blends in visually and has a milder, slightly floral heat.
- Make the bread crumbs fresh from day-old bread for the best texture. Pulse in a food processor with the garlic.
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse and drain beans.
Cook with bay leaf until tender (1-2 hours).
Partially drain, leaving beans in about ½ cup of their liquid; reserve drained liquid in case more moisture is needed.
Combine bread crumbs and garlic in a bowl (these may be minced together in food processor if making bread crumbs).
Heat spinach and add salt, white pepper, oregano and thyme to taste; purée spinach mixture.
Combine beans, bread crumbs and as much spinach purée as needed to bind ingredients together.
Serve slightly warm.
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