Bread-Free "Bruschetta" ( Veggies Filled With White Bean Salad)

Bread-free Bruschetta

Bread-free Bruschetta is a great lean way to serve delicious bean salads. These are perfect as appetizers or starters and won't fill you up to spoil the dinner. Black eyed peas, cannellini or Lima beans etc. may be served in a similar fashion.

Fresh or roasted vegetables form the base instead of the traditional bread or crostini (crostini = 'little toasts' in Italian). Small romaine or butter lettuce leaves, Belgian endive, red, yellow, or orange bell pepper boats, hollowed out tomatoes, cukes or zucchini, all work beautifully as delicious edible containers for hearty bean salads. Try one, try them all :P!

8 to 10 appetizer servings

Ingredients:

1 cup dry Great Northern beans, cooked
1-2 cloves Garlic
2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Sea Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Red Onion, finely minced
1 Tbsp Garlic Chives, finely sliced
2 Tbsp Italian Parsley, minced
Assorted Vegetables, suitable for holding the salad
a little Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Method:

Sort, soak and cook the beans until tender but not mushy. Click here for directions on how to cook beans. Alternately, use canned plain cannellini or other beans.

Mash the garlic and salt together using a mortar and pestle.

Combine garlic paste with the oil, lemon juice, pepper, red onion, and the herbs in a bowl and mix well.

Add the beans and toss together and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. If made ahead, chill until needed. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Check for seasoning and add more lemon, or salt/pepper as needed.

Spoon into the vegetables you are using, drizzle with a few drops of the oil, and serve. Enjoy!!