Homemade Crostini with Tuscan White Bean and Tomato Bruschetta
Homemade Crostini with Tuscan White Bean and Tomato Bruschetta
Crisp baked crostini with two toppings: warm Tuscan white beans with garlicky greens, and a fresh tomato, basil and tarragon bruschetta. Makes about 60.
Two toppings turn a tray of homemade crostini into a real first course. One is warm and hearty: creamy white beans simmered with onion, oregano and stock, lightly mashed and folded together with garlicky sauteed greens. The other is bright and fresh: ripe plum tomatoes with basil, parsley, a little tarragon and lemon.
Make the tomato topping first so it has a few hours to come together, bake the crostini while the beans simmer, and set everything out so guests can build their own.
Ingredients
Crostini
1 baguette (8 to 10 ounces), sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 60 slices)
3/4 cup olive oil
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
Tuscan white bean topping
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
About 8 cups mixed leafy greens, such as kale, turnip greens and baby spinach, washed, dried and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 large red onion, diced
2 cups cooked white beans, such as flageolet or cannellini
Make the tomato topping. In a bowl, stir together the tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, tarragon, red pepper flakes and the halved garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper. Let it stand at room temperature for up to 3 hours so the flavors blend.
Prepare the crostini. Heat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the baguette slices on two large rimmed baking sheets, brush both sides with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden, switching and rotating the sheets halfway through. If the undersides are not browning, turn the slices over once. Let them cool on the sheets.
Cook the greens. Heat half of the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and greens and cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted and very tender, about 5 minutes. Move them to a bowl and toss with the balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Simmer the beans. In the same skillet, heat the rest of the oil. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, stock and oregano and simmer, stirring now and then, until the stock thickens and only a little liquid remains, about 10 minutes.
Mash and finish. Move the beans to a wide bowl and mash them lightly with a fork or potato masher, leaving some whole for texture. Stir in the greens and season with the remaining salt and pepper.
Assemble. Remove the halved garlic cloves from the tomato topping and lift the tomatoes out with a slotted spoon. Top the crostini with the warm white bean mixture or the tomatoes, or set out both and let guests help themselves.
Tips
Cooled crostini keep 3 days in an airtight container; recrisp them for a few minutes in a 350°F oven if needed.
The white bean topping can be made a day ahead; rewarm it gently with a splash of stock.
Flageolet are small, pale green French beans with a creamy texture. Cannellini or Great Northern beans work just as well.
Lift the tomato topping with a slotted spoon so the juice stays in the bowl and the crostini stay crisp.
Questions about this recipe
Can I make crostini ahead of time?
Yes. Bake them up to 3 days ahead, cool completely and store airtight. Top them just before serving.
What are flageolet beans?
Small, pale green French white beans with a creamy texture and mild flavor. Cannellini or Great Northern beans are good substitutes.
