Smoky Beans with Aubergine & ‘Cheesy’ Toasts
Super comforting and delicious – kind of like cheese and beans on toast, but even better. This is so incredibly tasty – one for all the family.
Ok so this is a kind of like cheese and beans on toast, but as that’s one of my favourite comfort meals, I’m totally happy with that.
My vegan version is a lovely smoky bean dish with roast aubergine and red peppers, a rich tomato sauce with chickpeas and flageolet beans (use your favourites), topped with ‘cheesy’ toasts!
I toasted some rye bread, which I then topped with a big smear of cashew cheese and popped it under the grill and served it with the smokey beans–so comforting and delicious.
There’s a couple of options for the cashew cheese–a quicker non-fermented version which is tasty and another fermented version, which if you have time it’s definitely worth it.
You can flavour the cheese as you wish; plain but seasonal well, with nutritional yeast for extra cheesy-ness, truffle oil is amazing, or with spices–I love adding smoked paprika.
I hope you enjoy, much love Niki xxx
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers chopped
- 1 aubergine sliced
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
For the beans
- 2 onions sliced roughly
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp rose harissa or 1 tsp harissa
- 6 organic tomatoes chopped
- 500 ml water
- 1 tsp brown rice miso
- 1 tsp tamari
- 1 tin organic chickpeas drained
- 1 tin organic flageolet beans
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Twist black pepper
- Optional–1 tsp maple syrup
- Handful kale chopped finely
For the cashew cheese
Basic–not fermented
- 200 g cashews soaked for at least 4 hrs
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp English mustard or Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 50 ml water
Fermented/aged cheese
- 200 g cashews soaked for at least 4 hrs
- Water to cover
- 1 pro-biotic capsule
- Season well
- Plus flavours of choice–lemon juice nutritional yeast, any spices
To serve
- Bread of choice
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 180c.
- First, roast the peppers and aubergine by adding them with the oil and salt to a baking tray. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until roasted.
- In the meantime–add the oil and onion to a wide bottom pan and fry gently on a low heat for around 10 minutes until soft and browning. Add the garlic and spices and fry for 30 seconds more.
- Add the tomatoes and harissa to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.
- Now add the water, miso, tamari and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes.
- Add the beans, roast veg, salt, black pepper and optional maple syrup to the pan and simmer for a further 5 minutes
Option 1 -To make the quick cashew cheese.
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor or high-speed blender and blitz until very smooth. Transfer to jars and store in the fridge.
Option 2- To make the fermented cheese;
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor or high-speed blender and blitz until very smooth.
- Transfer to a glass or wooden bowl. Add a pro-biotic capsule. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Cover with a cloth for 24 hrs–a slight crust should have formed and it should taste slightly ‘cheesy’
- Now season and flavour as desired.
- Divide and transfer to ring molds or small pots with lids. Transfer to the fridge.
Mold option
- After 4-5 hrs, the cheese should have set and you can remove the mold.
- Can be kept for 3 months–the flavour will develop and a outer crust will come from.
To serve
- Toast some bread
- Top toast with a smear of cashew cheese. Pop back under the grill until the cheese colours.
- Serve the cheesy toasts with the beans.
2 Responses
This looks absolutely delicious but can I just check – do you stir the roasted aubergines and peppers in to the beans? And when/where do you add the kale? Can’t wait to try this! Thank you : )
Hi Francesca
Just with the beans 🙂 Much love
Niki xxx