Garlicky Mashed Beans with Vegetables and Pesto

Garlicky mashed beans with vegetables and pesto can be a delicious little plate all on its own or served as a side dish as part of a larger meal. If you’re a fan of refried beans (or beans in general) you’ll probably like this dish as a change of pace from other starchy sides.

I first came across this recipe on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian (formerly Amuse Your Bouche) several years ago. Becca describes herself as a cheese loving vegetarian and her blog is loaded with delicious recipes. Like many people, I pinned it to my Beans, Beans and More Beans Pinterest board where it has languished ever since. That’s part of the reason why I’ve decided to participate in the Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop hosted by My Pinterventures. The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop (and you too) to not just pin, but to make it happen! It seems like a great incentive to revisit some of the gorgeous creations I’ve pinned over the years, particularly those I’ve shared from my blogging friends. (Are you on Pinterest? You’re invited to follow me. I pin tons of recipes, crafts and more!)

This is a very simple recipe to make. It will be easiest if you have a food processor or stick blender with the appropriate attachment, but if necessary you can always mash the beans with a fork and use store bought pesto. I chose to saute some summer vegetables; eggplant, onions, peppers and zucchini to top my garlicky mashed beans. You may prefer to use other veggies, or to grill them instead.

Garlicky Mashed Beans with Vegetables and Pesto

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cuisine: vegetarian

Servings: 4 servings

Author: LydiaF

Ingredients

For the pesto

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves a generous handful
• 1 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves depending on the size peeled
• 2 - 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese or similar hard cheese
• 2 tablespoons nuts walnuts, pine nuts or almonds are good choices. I used slivered almonds. You can omit these if you prefer.
• salt and pepper to taste

For the garlicky bean mash

• 2 cups cooked cannelini or other white bean I used a standard sized can and rinsed the beans before using
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves depending on the size
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

For the vegetables

• About 2 cups sliced summer vegetables like eggplant and zucchini
• 1 small onion peeled and cut into half moons
• 1 cup sliced bell pepper any color (I used orange and red peppers)
• pinch red pepper flakes
• olive oil to saute
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the pesto

• Puree the garlic and basil in a food processor. Add one tablespoon olive oil, Parmesan cheese and your choice of nuts. Pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil to adjust the texture as needed. Store in the fridge until needed. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Make the mashed beans

• Puree the beans, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
• Like the pesto, the bean mash can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Bring to room temperature or gently reheat before serving.

Prepare the veggies

• Heat some olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a large skillet.
• Saute the onions and pepper together until they soften.
• Add the zucchini and eggplant. Saute until cooked to your desired doneness. Add a tablespoon of water or more oil if necessary.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve

• Mound about 1/2 cup of mashed beans onto the plate. Top with about a quarter of the vegetables and drizzle on the pesto sauce.

Like this recipe?Be sure to Pin It for later!

Vegan option: Omit the Parmesan cheese, adding a little more oil or use a vegan alternative.

Omnivore friendly: This is great on its own but you could serve it as a side with your meat or (as always) top with a fried egg.

As mentioned, this post is part of a challenge to start making some of the things we’ve pinned. My plan is to cook recipes from some of my blogging friends. Others will be taking advantage of the challenge to do crafts or DIY around the house or whatever takes their fancy. I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve made and hope you enjoy browsing through the offerings.

Welcome to the May Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop,

To join next month’s #pinterestchallenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ June Pinterest Challenge.

Now let’s see what other things Pinterest inspired! Head over and visit the other hosts to see what they crafted, cooked, built, or tried!

Erlene – My Pinterventures • Lauren – Mom Home Guide
Debbee – Debbee’s Buzz • Laurie – My Husband Has Too Many Hobbies
Marie – DIY Adulation • Julie – Sum of their Stories
Marie – The Inspiration Vault • T’onna – Sew Crafty Crochet
Pili – My Sweet Things • Debra – Shoppe No. 5
Roseann – This Autoimmune Life • Terri – Our Good Life
Lisa – Blogghetti • Marci – Stone Cottage Adventures
Leslie – Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Kelley – Simply Inspired Meals • Joanne – Our Unschooling Journey
Jenny – Cookies Coffee and Crafts • Gail – Purple Hues and Me
Rebecca – Hello Central Avenue • Sam – Raggedy Bits
Beverly – Across the Boulevard • Tyler – Just Enough Blush
Kristie – Teadoddles • Shirley – Intelligent Domestications
Kelli – The Olympic Nest • Lydia – Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen
Cherryl – Farm Girl Reformed • Ola – J’adore Le Decor
Rebecca – Simple Practical Beautiful • Gwen – Geez, Gwen!
Michelle – Our Crafty Mom • Emily – Domestic Deadline
Megan – C’mon Get Crafty • Micah – Home Faith Family
Chelc – Inside The Fox Den