These super versatile and yummy White Bean Bruschetta with Garlicky Greens are the perfect Italian-inspired appetizer for your get-togethers. And they come together in just 30 minutes!

White Bean Bruschetta with Garlicky Greens on a serving plate

I originally shared this recipe on June 10, 2012. I have updated the images and some of the text today.

Why We Love This Recipe For White Bean Bruschetta

This is a classic Italian grilled bread antipasto with white bean and leek puree that can be easily be adapted to whatever you have on hand. For example, I had some pepperoni in my fridge and decided to chop that up and add it to the mix and it was such a delicious addition.

All year long I love hosting and attending potlucks, picnics, tailgate parties, holiday parties and casual entertaining events. So it is important to have a few simple noshes in your recipe repertoire. This Italian white bean appetizer is one I go to again and again because it is so tasty, unique, and healthy. Plus everyone always raves about them.

Other bite-sized recipes that are high in my appetizer-favorites list are these Beets and Caramelized Onion Bruschetta with Goat Cheese Crumbles and Roasted Grape Crostini with Goat Cheese and Walnuts. If you try all three of these, you’ll be the appetizer queen in no time.

To make these appetizers, first I chopped up some leeks which I needed to use up. If you haven’t used leeks before, you can always check out this post here to see the step by step photos of how to clean a leek. Normally I would have used slowly cooked onions as the base of the puree, but like I said this recipe is versatile.

This white bean puree could not be any simpler to make. It’s really just sautéed leeks (or onions) and garlic, puréed with some white beans in a food processor. You will want to eat this with a spoon (don’t ask me how I know).

Folks, I will tell you one of the best things about this recipe is how everything comes together so well. The creamy, almost buttery, white bean and leek purée spread on top of the crispy grilled bread is amazing. The char taste is such a great contrast with the sweetness of the bean puree.

But then you top it with those bright garlicky greens and that salty, smoky pepperoni and WOW you really have something so special!

overhead shot of Bean Bruschetta with toast and white bean spread alongside

Key Ingredients For This Bean Bruschetta Recipe

Baguette

Everyone knows that baguette is the way to go when making any type of crostini or appetizer that involves bread. It’s so nice and crunchy and has that slightly sour taste. I’d recommend stopping by a local bakery of course, but any baguette will do. You could also use sour dough or any fluffy Italian loaf.

Cannellini beans

If you’ve never make a spread out of cannellini beans you’re in for a real treat. Cannellini beans are really just white kidney beans, and I especially love the ones from Eden brand (but use whichever ones you’d like). Make sure to drain and rinse them well to remove excess sodium and starch. If needed, Great Northern beans would be the best substitute for cannellini beans.

Garlic

I used chopped garlic to get the perfect amount of garlic flavor into this dish. If you’re sensitive to garlic, use less. To easily measure out garlic, know that 1 large garlic clove is about the same as 1 teaspoon chopped garlic.

Cooking greens

I happened to have spinach on hand, so that’s what I used for the garlicky greens. Though beet greens and chard would be great too. If you use chard, finely chop the stems and add them into the Dutch oven with the garlic.

Smoked pepperoni

I used smoked pepperoni for an added boost of saltiness. Feel free to leave this out if you don’t have any or want to make this vegetarian as it was mainly a fun and experimental addition. With that being said, I do still highly recommend it. You could always add prosciutto or spec if you have that instead.

Additional Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 ½ cups chopped leeks, tender part only, cleaned and drained
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, divided
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

Step by Step Instructions to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Make bean spread

Place 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet. Add the leeks, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 ¼ tsp salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then place over medium heat and cook, stirring often until the leeks are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, stirring often until warmed through, about 3 minutes more. Transfer everything to a food processor and purée until smooth.

Step 2: Cook greens

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped greens’ stems, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often until the garlic is fragrant and the stems are softened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chopped green leaves and stir until combined with the garlic mixture. Cover, increase heat to high and cook until the greens are wilted and tender, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.

Step 3: Toast bread & assemble

Just before serving, preheat the grill to medium heat (for oven method see FAQ below). Meanwhile, lightly brush the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the baguette slices and grill over medium heat until lightly toasted. Top the grilled bread with the purée, greens and pepperoni.

a close up of White Bean Bruschetta with Garlicky Greens

FAQs and Expert Tips

How to toast the crostini without a grill:

If you don’t have a grill or it’s not grill season yet you can toast the bread in the oven or on a grill pan/skillet. To toast the bread in the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees F. Lay the oiled bread slices out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then toast for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Otherwise, heat a medium skillet over medium, then place oiled bread slices in pan (in batches if necessary) and toast for 2 to 3 minutes per side (watch closely).

How to make the white bean spread ahead of time:

As most dips and spreads, this white bean spread will last in the fridge anywhere from 3 to 4 days. When completely cooled, transfer to a sealable container and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

White Bean Crostini with a glass of white wine alongside

Additional Appetizer Recipes to Try

  • This Healthier Hot Crab Dip will blow the doors off any hot crab dip you’ve tried before because it is packed with sweet delicious crab, spicy Sriracha, lemon zest, scallions and spices.
  • My Tzatziki with Za’atar Pita Chips is so tasty. For anyone that doesn’t know, tzatziki is a cool and refreshing cucumber and yogurt dip.
  • This Black Bean Hummus is one of my very favorite recipes. It’s the perfect appetizer, party food or plant-based snack.
  • I love this Roasted Garlic Hummus. The garlic, lemon and creamy texture are just perfect!
  • These Healthy Stuffed Mushrooms are an easy, savory and absolutely delicious appetizer recipe. They’re creamy, crispy and can even be prepped ahead of time.
  • These Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a classic spicy Buffalo sauce coating each and every nook and cranny.

More Recipes You’ll Love

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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These super versatile and yummy White Bean Bruschetta with Garlicky Greens are the perfect little appetizer for your Spring and Summer get-togethers. | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

White Bean Bruschetta with Garlicky Greens


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5 from 3 reviews

Description

These super versatile and yummy White Bean Bruschetta with Garlicky Greens are the perfect little appetizer for your Spring and Summer get-togethers. And they come together in just 30 minutes!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped leeks, tender part only,cleaned and drained
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, divided
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
  • 2 14ounce cans no-salt added cannellini beans, such as Eden, drained and rinsed
  • 2 large bunches tender cooking greens, such as chard and beet greens, leaves chopped and washed, stems chopped and separated
  • 1 large baguette, sliced on a slight bias into 24 rounds
  • 1/2 cup diced smoked pepperoni

Instructions

  1. Place 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet followed by leeks, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 ¼ tsp salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring often until the leeks are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans and cook, stirring often until heated through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped greens’ stems, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often until the garlic is fragrant and the stems are softened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chopped green leaves and stir until combined with the garlic mixture. Cover, increase heat to high and cook until the greens are wilted and tender, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
  3. Just before serving, preheat grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, lightly brush the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the baguette slices and grill over medium heat until lightly toasted. Top the grilled bread with the puree, the greens and pepperoni.

Notes

Cooking Tip:

If you don’t have a grill or it’s not grill season yet you can toast the bread in the over or on a grill pan/skillet. To toast the bread in the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees F. Lay the oiled bread slices out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then toast for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Otherwise, heat a medium skillet over medium, then place oiled bread slices in pan (in batches if necessary) and toast for 1 to 2 minutes per side (watch closely).

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: appetizer
  • Method: Stove Top/Grill
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bruschetta
  • Calories: 93
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Fat: 3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 4 g

Here are the original images associated with this blog post.

bean and green bruscetta sitting on top of a wooden cutting board
A close up of Bruschetta