Here's a good recipe for Beginning Anew, thanks to a discovery by Susan Ghosh!

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Smoky beans on garlic toast make a perfect vegan bruschetta. Delicious, healthy, inexpensive and packed with big flavors!

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 10

10 slices baguette or rustic bread, toasted

• 1 1/2 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 Tbsp onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp chilli flakes, or more to taste (optional)
• 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, leaves
• 2 garlic, cloves
• 10 black olives (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Cook the chopped onion for about 3 minutes, until soft. 

2. Add smoked paprika, beans, thyme and salt, stir well and cook for a further 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. When they're done, smash half of the beans and add the rest of the oil.

3. In the meanwhile, toast your slices of bread in the oven or in a pan with a little of olive oil, cook for a few minutes until golden. This method adds more flavor.

4. Rub the toasted bread with fresh garlic, top with a spoon of smoky beans and some black olives (1 olive per slice of bread is fine) a pinch of chilli (optional) and a drizzle of olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe Notes

• The cooked beans keep well in the fridge up to 3 days.
• 1 1/2 cup of beans is enough for 10 small slices (Recipe used one French baguette).