The toasted infused garlic sourdough bread is smothered with a paprika tomato sauce with beans and spinach, then garnished with feta and fresh herbs. A healthy and delicious weekday recipe!
When I first made this recipe, I was hooked! It’s so flavourful with simple ingredients and then when you combine them together, it has become my all time favourite lunch meal. You wouldn’t think this would be satisfying, but it’s just the opposite, very satisfying and not over filling.
This British inspired dish comes together with ripe vine tomatoes, navy beans and spinach. The rich and warm paprika spices are combined with onion and crushed garlic adds a rich smoky flavour. The spinach and fresh herbs balances these rich flavours, then the tangy feta cheese brings all together with the toasted infused garlic sourdough bread!
LISTED ARE THE INGREDIENTS AND SOME TIPS
- Bread: I like to use sourdough bread for this recipe or a crusty bread
- Red onion: is my preference, a milder onion flavour and shallots are a great alternative
- Garlic: needed to infuse the sourdough bread and cooked with the tomato and bean mixture
- Tomatoes: I used local greenhouse vine tomatoes, they were the right side and amount I wanted for this recipe, aroma tomatoes I like to use in the summer months
- Spices: included are sweet and smoked paprika
- Herbs: dried thyme, fresh dill and basil
- Seasoning: salt and freshly ground pepper
- Vegetable broth: adding enough to maintain moisture in the tomato and bean mixture
- Beans: I used dried navy beans, alternatively canned navy beans work very well for this recipe too
- Capers: are optional
- Spinach: only a handful needed and kale could be interchanged
- Feta: milk or goat feta can be used
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE
Garlic Toast: to create an infused garlic toast, requires to heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and add the garlic and bread. Toast the bread on each side until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Add more olive oil is needed. Remove from heat and leave in skillet to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a cast iron pan, heat remaining olive oil and sauté onions and garlic. When adding garlic just cook long enough for the aroma releases about 30 seconds. Then stir together tomatoes, smoked and sweet paprikas, simmer for about 2-3 minutes, until tomatoes starts to soften. Then add thyme, salt, pepper, vegetable broth and beans, continue cooking until the liquid reduces. Lastly add spinach and capers if using, simmer for another 2 minutes. If the liquid has evaporated, add a little more broth.
This recipe makes 2 generous servings. Add bean mixture over the toasted sourdough bread. Garnish with fresh dill and basil. Drizzle with olive oil.
HELPFUL TIPS
Dried beans or canned beans: For this recipe, you have two options: canned navy beans or dried navy beans. I decided to use dried beans for this recipe. Measure 1/3 cup of dried beans for 1 full cup of cooked beans. When using dried beans, you need to soak the beans in water overnight. By soaking overnight, the texture improves and shortens the cooking process. The next day, drain the beans and add it to a sauce pot with at least 1½ cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low boil for 1-1½ hours. Keeping an eye on it that the water doesn’t evaporate. Drain the beans and set aside when ready to add to the skillet. For canned beans, you will need 7 ounces (178 mL), just under a cup. You can easily add a full cup of beans to this recipe and you will more than likely get 3 serves.
When cooking the tomatoes and beans, the liquid can evaporate quite quickly and it is a good idea to have extra vegetable broth on hand. Just add a few tablespoons at a time to make sure there is a little bit of liquid remaining.
Store tomatoes and bean mixture separately from the toasted bread in an air tight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days.
WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE
- This dish is healthy and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Beans have been so popular for many years and the health experts recommend that we include them in our diet. Beans in general are high in fiber, protein, Vitamin B’s, magnesium, folate, iron and many other vitamins and minerals. Reduces heart disease, improve sugar levels and maintains a healthy gut which is the most important organ in our body to keep us healthy!
- For a healthy and delicious recipe it is budget friendly
- High in antioxidants, more specifically polyphenols which fights off diseases and reduces the risk of cancer
- Make this recipe in 30 minutes!
- It tastes so good, you will be pleasantly surprised how delicious this recipe is
- Family friendly recipe when everyone can join in and experiment with the ingredients 🙂
MORE FAVOURITE RECIPE TO TRY
Easy Crispy Garlic Toast with Smoky Tomatoes and Beans
Equipment
- cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 2 slices sourdough bread, ½-¾ inch thickness
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, added separately
- 6 oz (178 ml) vine tomatoes, cut in quarters (4 tomatoes) (or canned diced tomatoes)
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup dried navy beans, soaked overnight (or 7 oz 207 ml canned navy beans, rinsed)
- 1 tbsp capers (optional)
- 1-2 handful of spinach
- feta, crumbled
- 1 tbsp dill
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Dried Beans: soak beans over night in a bowl with enough water to cover the beans. The next day, drain beans then add to a sauce pot with 1½ cups of water. Cook on a slow boil for 1-1½ hours, the beans should be tender. Drain in a colander and set aside.
- Garlic Toast: Using a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add 1 clove of garlic sliced in half. Allow the garlic to become fragant and push to the side of the skillet. Add bread and toast each side until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Add more olive oil is needed. Remove from heat and leave skillet to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a cast iron pan, over medium heat, add remaining olive oil. Sauté onion for about 3 minutes, then add crushed garlic and cook until the aroma releases about 30 seconds. Then add tomatoes, smoked and sweet paprikas, simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Once the tomatoes start to soften, add thyme, salt, pepper, vegetable broth and beans. Continue cooking until the liquid reduces, about 3-4 minutes. Then add spinach and capers if using, simmer for another 2 minutes. If the liquid has evaporated, add a little more broth.
- To serve, add bean mixture over the toasted sourdough bread. Garnish with fresh dill and basil. Drizzle with olive oil. This makes 2 generous servings.
