A healthy appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings! Toasted baguette is topped with marinated white beans and sautéed kale for a tangy, savory starter.
The season of holiday parties is beginning… I don’t know about you, but I’m still pretty full from Thanksgiving. Not that I’ll be turning down cocktails or sugary treats when they’re offered to me… but somehow I feel less guilty indulging if I’ve had my kale fix. (Kale neutralizes out cookies, right?).
This appetizer is super simple to throw together (or even make ahead of time) and packs a garlicky-lemony-rosemary-ey punch…
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
½ teaspoon lemon zest
A few teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary (reserve some for garnish)
A few pinches of red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced (leave ½ of one intact for rubbing on toasted bread)
½ bunch kale (3-4 leaves), stems removed
1 shallot, chopped
Splash of white wine
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Big shaving of fresh parmesan for each toast
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and drizzle the bread with olive oil.
In a small bowl, place the cannellini beans. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside and let the beans soak up the flavors while you prepare the other ingredients. (Soak for at least 15 minutes, this step can also be done up to a day ahead of time).
Toast the baguette slices in the oven until golden brown. While the slices are still warm, rub with the open side of a cut piece of garlic. Set aside.
Chop your kale in half down the center and then into thin slices (in the other direction). It’ll cook down a lot but if your slices are too long and stringy they’ll be messier to eat. Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium skillet, add the shallots and cook for a couple of minutes until they soften.
Add the kale and garlic, and cook for a minute more. Add a good splash of white wine.
Stir, and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the kale is nicely wilted but still vibrant green. Remove from heat and set aside.
Mix the cooked kale with the white beans. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Assemble toasts with a baguette slice and a dollop of the kale and bean mixture. Top with the reserved rosemary, red pepper flakes, and a good shaving of parmesan. Taste one and adjust seasonings again — add more herbs if you wish, salt, pepper, or another squeeze of lemon if you like.
NotesAlternatively, you can puree the white bean mixture together… either dollop the puree on the kale on each toast, or serve in a separate bowl for dipping.3.4.3177
PrintAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioServes: 15-18 crostiniIngredients