Serves 6 for a light lunch with a side salad

These are definitely not the beans on toast that come to mind when you read those words. My sister recently surprised me with a gorgeous bouquet of homegrown herbs, so I knew I had to do them justice! Abnormally high temperatures have meant that turning on the oven wasn’t an option, so I came up with this idea for a flavour-packed lunch that really highlights the beauty of the herbs. The base recipe is delicious on its own but to make it that much better, I have added the directions for two different variations. You can make this ahead of time, up until pulling the beans out of the fridge. In fact, the beans really benefit from a longer marination in the sauce so you can definitely prep this a day or two before serving. If you only have a full-sized food processor, you may have to double the recipe for it to blend properly; don’t worry though, it lasts well in the fridge and after you try it, you won’t regret having extra!

1 cup roughly chopped mixed herbs (I used 1/4 cup oregano and 3/4 cup chives)
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove of garlic
1/2 a shallot (optional, see note)
2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for brushing)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1-19oz (540g) can of white beans, drained and rinsed
6 thick slices of chewy artisan bread

In the cup of a small food processor, add the herbs, salt, garlic, and shallot if using, and pulse until a rough paste starts to form. While the machine is chopping, slowly add olive oil and red wine vinegar until thoroughly mixed. You should have a thick, almost pesto like, paste.

Take the drained and rinsed beans and add them to a medium sized mixing bowl. Top the beans with the herb paste, cover and set aside in the refrigerator.

20 minutes before serving, preheat a barbecue or grill pan, and pull the beans out of the fridge. Cut 6 thick slices of the bread and brush liberally with olive oil on both sides. When the grill is hot, place the bread on it and toast for 2 mins on one side, or until golden brown and slightly charred before flipping over and toasting the other side. Remove bread from the grill, and top with the bean mixture. Finish with a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel.

Tomato and cucumber, for 6 portions

1 medium tomato, deseeded and chopped to the size of beans
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped to roughly the size of a bean

After removing the beans from the fridge, stir in the tomato and cucumber and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve.

Strawberry and goat cheese, for 6 portions

1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup goat cheese

After removing the beans from the fridge, chop the strawberries and add them to the bean mixture. After topping the toast with the beans and strawberries, crumble goat cheese over the top.

Note: if you’re using chives as I did, then you don’t need the shallot. If you’re going to use a different mix of herbs, such as parsley and oregano, the sauce will really benefit from the allium kick that half a shallot would provide.