Recipe & Images: Emma Galloway
If you don’t have cannellini beans, try butter beans, pinto or borlotti. If you don’t have passata, you can blend a third of a 400g can of tinned tomatoes until smooth and use this instead. Raw or brown sugar can be used in place of maple syrup. Don’t have tomato paste? Don’t worry, it adds a richer flavour but these are lovely made without too. I scatted the top with some chives, flat parsley and baby rocket from my garden, but don’t worry if you don’t have any herbs at hand. While beans on toast is often thought of as breakfast food, it’s just as good for lunch or dinner!
Serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped (or a good pinch of dried thyme)
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ cup passata (tomato puree)
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
1 tbsp tomato paste
1–2 tsp pure maple syrup
hot buttered toast, to serve
fresh herbs, roughly chopped, to serve (optional)
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and onion and cook, stirring often until onions are tender. Add garlic and thyme and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add paprika and cook for a few seconds before adding passata, beans, tomato paste, maple syrup and approx. a quarter of a cup of water. Season with a little fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick. Add a touch more water if it’s looking too dry at any stage. Serve over hot buttered toast, scattered with fresh herbs if you have some.
