Recipes › Sage › White Bean and Sage Crostini with Roasted Garlic
White Bean and Sage Crostini with Roasted Garlic
A rustic Italian-inspired snack that puts sage front and centre — the leaves are fried in olive oil until crisp and fragrant, then stirred through a creamy white bean mash that's been lifted with roasted garlic and lemon. Piled onto toasted sourdough, it is the kind of thing that disappears before you have finished making it. Ready in under 30 minutes and entirely plant-based.
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Ingredients
- 25 fresh sage leaves, stems removed, leaves left whole
- 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 800 g tinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (2 x 400g tins)or butter beans
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 sourdough bread, cut into 1.5cm slicesor a ciabatta loaf, sliced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
Contains: cereals gluten, sulphites.
Method
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on a small piece of foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, wrap tightly and roast for 18 minutes until completely soft.About 18 min
- While the garlic roasts, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the sage leaves in a single layer — work in two batches if needed. Fry for 30–45 seconds per side until the leaves are crisp and bright green with a few darker edges. Lift them out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and season immediately with a pinch of flaky salt. Reserve the sage-scented oil in the pan.About 4 min
- Arrange the sourdough slices on a baking tray, brush both sides lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toast in the oven for 6–8 minutes, flipping once, until golden and crisp at the edges. You can do this at the same time the garlic is roasting.About 8 min
- Once the garlic is done, squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins into a large bowl. Add the drained cannellini beans, lemon zest, lemon juice, the sage-scented oil from the pan, flaky salt and black pepper. Mash firmly with a fork until you have a rough, textured paste — not completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.About 3 min
- Pile the white bean mash generously onto the toasted sourdough slices. Crumble or lay the crispy sage leaves on top, scatter over chilli flakes if using, and serve immediately.
Tips
- The sage leaves must be completely dry before they go into the oil — any water will cause fierce spitting and make the leaves steam rather than crisp. Pat them dry with kitchen paper if they have been washed.
- Do not walk away from the sage in the pan. The window between perfectly crisp and burnt is about 15 seconds. As soon as the sizzling quietens down, they are done.
- Roasted garlic is much milder and sweeter than raw. If you are short on time, use 2 cloves of raw garlic instead, but grate them in rather than mashing so they distribute evenly without harsh chunks.
Ring the changes
- Stir 2 tablespoons of white wine into the bean mash with a splash of the bean liquid for a slightly looser, more restaurant-style texture.
- Top with a few slices of ripe tomato or a spoonful of good-quality sun-dried tomatoes to make it more substantial as a light lunch.
Keeping it
The bean mash keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The crispy sage is best made fresh, but can be stored in a single layer between sheets of kitchen paper at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Reheat the mash gently in a pan with a splash of water before serving.
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