Creamy Beans with Chanterelles and Fried Bread
We all knew this was coming sooner or later. A bean recipe. A cozy, delicious, and versatile dish for rainy days.
Welcome back to my Substack!
This week I am proudly sharing my first bean recipe on this newsletter. It is surprising that this took more than two months since beans represent 70% of my diet (the other 30% is probably bread and lemons). I do not want to exaggerate but this is a perfect meal for me. Beans, mushrooms, and bread topped with lemon zest?! Everything I need in my life. I think this could easily be my death row meal.
I was really excited to share this recipe for Creamy Beans and Chanterelles until I realized that I am actually very late to the party since Chanterelle season is practically over (according to Google the season lasts from late spring to early fall depending on your location). But in my defense, they were still in season when I first tested the recipe on the 30th of September. I was still lucky to find some at the market this previous weekend and hopefully, you might have the same luck! If not, any other mushrooms work great as well. It is Porcini season in Slovenia, but you can also use Oysters or Shiitake mushrooms. Roasted Hokaido pumpkin would also be delicious. It is a very versatile and adaptable recipe. If beans are the only thing in your kitchen, you can enjoy plain creamy beans drizzled with olive oil.
I would eat this for any meal of the day, from breakfast to dinner. I scrape them off my plate with some olive oil-fried bread. And because I wouldn’t be me without extra toppings, I drizzle them with olive oil, and any fresh herb I can find in my fridge.
In the recipe, I ask for 2 tbsp of unsweetened plant yogurt, but you can use anything creamy, like cashew cream, cream fraiche, yogurt, or creamy spread. The first time I made it, I added some store-bought cashew spread to use it up, and it worked completely fine. This is a very forgiving recipe and a good one to remember when you want something quick and comforting.
Ingredients (serves 1)
Creamy Beans
1 shallot (around 25g)
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can of beans (I like to use butter beans because of their size and texture, but other beans should work as well)
80g water
1 tbsp white miso paste
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp unsweetened plant-based yogurt (or anything creamy like cream Fraiche, cream cheese, or cashew cream)
1 tsp lemon zest
Salt
Cracked black pepper
Chanterelles
1 tbsp olive oil
80g Chanterelles
1 garlic clove
1 tsp plant-based butter
Salt
Cracked black pepper
Finely chopped chives
Lemon zest
Olive oil
2 pieces of olive oil fried bread
Method
Peel your shallot and finally dice it. Peel and crush 3 cloves of garlic and crush them, keeping 2 cloves and 1 clove seperated. Clean your Chanterelles using a damp paper towel and a brush. Mine were quite dirty so I quickly submerged them in cold water, brushed away any leftover dirt, and dried them well. Strain and rinse a can of beans.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pot and add diced shallot. Fry for 2 minutes before adding 2 crushed garlic cloves. After 1 minute add 50g of beans and mix well. Transfer everything to a blender and add 80g of water, 1 tbsp miso paste, 1 tsp lemon juice, and 2 tbsp unsweetened plant-based yogurt. Blend well until very creamy. Return to a pot and add the remaining beans. Add 1 tsp of lemon zest and mix well. Season with salt and pepper if necessary, and gently heat up to warm up the added beans.
In the meantime fry Chanterelles. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add 1 crushed garlic clove. After a minute add your mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and fry until they start to brown (around 3,4 minutes). Add 1 tsp of plant-based butter, mix well, and remove from the heat.
To assemble the dish transfer your Creamy beans to a plate and top them with fried Chanterelles, finely chopped chives, extra lemon zest, and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy with a piece of olive oil fried bread.
I hope you like this week’s recipe and we’ll see each other next week with an exciting cookie recipe! x