A savory, garlicky white bean puree with a creamy, whipped texture. Can be made with canned or cooked-from-scratch beans.
If you were to come over for dinner, the chances of this white bean puree being on the menu are quite high. Just like my caramelized onion crostini and kale caesar salad, this fluffy cannellini mash has been one of my go-to’s for dinner parties for years.
This savory, garlicky puree has a creamy, whipped texture and comes together in minutes with just a handful of ingredients. If you’ve never had pureed beans before, think of them as akin to mashed potatoes. I like to top this with za’atar and fried leeks but there are so many ways to serve this luxurious side dish. Read on for tips and ideas!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
The essential elements of this vegan puree are: white beans, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. After that, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure kinda thing…
- White Beans: You’ll need two standard cans of cannellini beans. You can also use canned great northern or butter beans, or ones you cooked from scratch.
- Garlic-Infused Olive Oil: Thinly sliced garlic warmed on the stove in a glug of olive oil infuses the puree with sweet-savory garlicky goodness.
- Lemon Juice: Cuts through the richness.
- Miso: This Japanese fermented soybean paste rounds everything out with a savory taste. You can use Yondu as a sub if you have it.
- Fried Leeks: Crispy, savory, near-burnt leeks are my favorite way to top the puree. If you only have onions, you can thinly slice a small one and cook it in the same manner. Alternatively, go with sautéed mushrooms.
- Za’atar: This Middle Eastern spice blend complements the puree beautifully. Za’atar is now widely available in supermarkets and even at Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have any, sprinkle the puree with a little sumac or ground cumin – or skip it altogether.
White Bean Puree Step-by-Step
Cook the Leeks: Thinly slice the light green parts of a leek (reserve the white and dark green parts for leek-pea pasta or veg broth), and thoroughly clean them in a bowl of water or salad spinner. Then place in a non-stick skillet with a generous amount of oil and cook over medium heat until they’re dark brown.
Infuse the Oil: To make the garlic oil, thinly slice some garlic cloves and combine them with olive oil in a small skillet/pot. Gently heat just until the garlic starts to sizzle, then turn the heat off. (If the garlic gets too hot, it’ll get bitter.) Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to infuse.
Make the Puree: In a food processor, combine the beans, the garlic with its oil, lemon juice, miso, and a bit of water. Puree until completely smooth. Then season to taste with salt and pepper. (I like to wait til the end to add salt since many canned beans are quite salty already.)
Serve the Puree: Transfer the white bean mash to a shallow bowl, drizzle with a bit of extra oil, and sprinkle with za’atar and the fried leeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend cannellini, but great northern and butter beans also work. If you have time, cook dried beans from scratch for the tastiest puree.
This puree is so good with nearly anything! My go-to’s are vegan mushroom bourguignon and tempeh marsala. Other favorites are braised collard greens and basic sauteed mushrooms. For my omnivore friends, think short ribs, fish, or scallops.
I typically serve this warm or at room temp. If you wanna go the warm route, warm up the beans (stove or microwave) before pureeing. Or just microwave the puree before serving.
No. This recipe does not have enough liquid to work in a blender. It may work in a Vitamix, though I personally haven’t tried it.
Yes! It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat well in the microwave.
More Festive Recipes…
- Creamy Miso Polenta with Mushroom Ragù
- Mushroom Bourguignon
- Cauliflower Pot Pie
- Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
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White Bean Puree
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A savory, garlicky white bean puree with a creamy, whipped texture. Works as a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes. (P.S. This article has been updated from its original December 2020 version. Click here for the old recipe.)
Ingredients
For the Leeks* (see note below)
- 1 medium leek, light green parts thinly sliced
- Neutral oil, for frying
For the Puree
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Two 15-ounce cans cannellini or butter beans, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups home-cooked beans)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons white miso*
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Za’atar, for garnishing
Instructions
- To clean the leek, fill a large bowl with water, add the sliced leeks, and swirl around with your hands while separating the layers. Lift them back out onto the cutting board; if the water looks very dirty, repeat the process with new water. Alternatively, use a salad spinner.
- Heat a generous layer of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the leeks. Cook, resisting the urge to stir too often, until they’re nicely browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet or pot, combine 3 tablespoons olive oil with 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves. Place over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, wait 5 to 10 seconds, then promptly turn the heat off and set aside to infuse for at least 5 minutes.
- In a food processor, combine the rinsed beans, the garlic with its oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons miso, and 3 tablespoons of water* (see note below). Puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a shallow bowl, drizzle lightly with extra olive oil, sprinkle with za’atar, and top with the fried leeks.
Notes
- If you don’t have a leek, thinly slice a small onion instead and cook it in the same manner.
- If you don’t have miso, sub with Yondu.
- Za’atar is now widely available in supermarkets and even at Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have any, sprinkle the puree with a little sumac or ground cumin – or skip it altogether.
- If using home-cooked beans, use the bean broth to thin out the puree instead of plain water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 210
- Fat: 9.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.6 g
- Fiber: 5.9 g
- Protein: 8.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0
Wonderful says
Fabulous recipe! I am so happy with the flavor of this dish. Thank you for sharing!
Alexandra Shytsman says
You’re so welcome!
elena lewis says
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe. I definitely made at home my son and husband are very happy to eat this!
Alexandra says
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Anders says
Wow this looks great – can’t wait to try it 🙂
Alexandra says
Glad you like it!
Lee says
I’m confused… a bare simmer with the pot open is still quite hot, like medium. Is that what you meant? Or do you mean bring it to a low simmer with the cover on, then remove it?
Alexandra says
Hi Lee! The pot should be covered the entire time. First fully covered (while coming up to a boil), then the lid should be ajar (while the beans are gently simmering). I just updated the instructions as well. Let me know if that makes sense!
JOSIE says
Excellent recipe. Perfect comfort food for this cold january day. easy, cheap & delicious.
Alexandra says
Glad to hear you enjoyed this, Josie! 😀