Crostini are tasty, bite-sized snacks consisting of toasted baguette slices and topped with anything your heart wants. I used a nutritious white bean topping drizzled with balsamic vinegar for my crostini dish.
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White Bean Crostini
Make this White Bean Crostini recipe at your next party! They taste great, look great, and are really simple to create. The creamy white bean spread complements the crisp, toasted bread, while the garlic, thyme, and balsamic add flavor.
Why This White Bean Crostini Recipe Works
- Perfect for a Party: This crostini recipe may be doubled or tripled, and they’re not messy to eat.
- Crostini are a great individual appetizer since they are so simple to make. Simply slice and toast the bread, create the bean spread, and put it all together.
- Toasted bread and bean spread may be made ahead of time, so all you have to do on the day of your gathering is assemble them.
- White bean crostini are the ideal tiny bite size.
- Appetizers that are vegan and vegetarian! For guests who do not consume meat.
What exactly is the distinction between bruschetta and crostini?
The bread is the primary distinction between bruschetta and crostini. Bruschetta is made with thicker sourdough pieces that have been smeared with garlic and grilled, whereas crostini is made with thinner, smaller baguette slices. Crostini means “little toasts,” while bruschetta, derived from the term buscare, meaning “to roast over coals” in Italian.
White Bean Crostini Ingredients
- Beans: Rinse and drain two cups cannellini or Great Northern beans.
- Liquid: To make the white bean dip spreadable, thicken it with olive oil and water.
- Thyme: Incorporate fresh thyme into the dip and garnish with a few leaves.
- The beans are seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Garlic: Use one clove of garlic in the bean spread and another on the sliced bread.
- Crostini Bread: Crostini bread is made by slicing a baguette into quarter-inch slices.
- Olive Oil: Spray the pieces with olive oil before toasting.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Drizzle the crostini with balsamic vinegar.
How to Make White Bean Crostini
- Prepare the Bread: Spray the sliced bread with oil and toast it in a 400°F oven until golden and crisp, flipping halfway through. They can also be grilled. Then, gently massage each piece with a garlic clove sliced in half.
- White Bean Spread: In a blender, combine the beans, oil, water, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add a bit extra water if it’s too dry.
- Assemble the Crostini: Spread the white bean puree and additional thyme on each slice of bread. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar right before serving.
White Bean Crostini Variations
- Vinegar: Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the crostini. Simply cook some vinegar in a small pot over medium heat until thick and syrupy.
- Herbs: Replace thyme with rosemary.
- Heat: Heat the beans by adding some red pepper flakes.
FAQs
How long can you keep crostini and how should they be stored?
These little crostini are ideal for preparing ahead of time for a gathering. Here’s what you should do:
- Make Ahead: Slice and toast the bread ahead of time and keep in an airtight container. The white bean spread may also be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to two days. The beans will keep for four days in total.
- Serve More People: If you’re planning a bigger gathering, double or quadruple this recipe.
- Store Leftovers: Crostini are best eaten the day they are made, but if you have leftovers, you can reheat them in the oven, air fryer, or stovetop.
Equipment
More Appetizer Recipes You May Love
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- Croque Monsieur Sliders
- Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
- Spiced Zucchini Cake
White Bean Crostini
Crostini are tasty, bite-sized snacks consisting of toasted baguette slices and topped with anything your heart wants. I used a nutritious white bean topping drizzled with balsamic vinegar for my crostini dish.
Ingredients
For the White Bean Spread:
- 2 cups canned Cannelini or Northern Beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 clove garlic
- kosher salt and fresh pepper
Crostini:
- 8 1/2 inch piece of baguette (4 oz total) sliced into 1/4″ thin slices
- 1 garlic clove
- olive oil spray
- extra fresh thyme for garnish
- balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Instructions
- Slice the bread into 1/4′′ thick pieces.
- You may toast them in the oven with a little olive oil spray at 400F until toasted, rotating once, or grill them until golden with a little spray of olive oil.
- After toasting the bread, gently massage it with a garlic clove sliced in half. Your bread is now ready to be topped.
- All of the components for the white bean spread should be pureed in a small blender or magic bullet. You can add a bit additional water if it’s too dry.
- Garnish each piece with 2 tablespoons of the white bean purée and fresh thyme.
- Drizzle with balsamic vinegar just before serving.
Notes
Makes 34 pieces.