Avocado And Cannellini Bean Crostini With Gremolata
on Jul 13, 2018, Updated Aug 13, 2023
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A ripe avocado and a can of beans turn into an elegant little appetizer.
Crostini are a pretty brilliant way to use up odds and ends that you might have in your fridge, and it doesn’t take much to transform them into an elegant little appetizer. An avocado that’s begging to be used (like TODAY) becomes a perfect partner for firm cannellini beans, and looks beautiful heaped on a sturdy little toast.
And I have found that putting things on small pieces of lovely bread, swiped somewhat generously with olive oil, sprinkled somewhat generously with kosher salt, and toasted in the oven works amazingly well in terms of getting folks to try new things.
Committing to a crostini is not exactly hard, nor is it a chore. And this is not just about my kids either – it seems to work on just about everyone. I just cooked for a party for my 8th grade home ec teacher, the nicest person, a great story about how we reconnected several years ago WAYYYY after she taught me home ec (oh if you haven’t read it, please, just do), and there were quite a few crostini, because i know she loves them, generally speaking.
Anyway, I made some topped with this salmon and white bean salad, and some topped with a few versions of whipped ricotta and then roasted peppers…and they were a hit. As they often are. But the point here is that the three teenagers she hired to help serve and do dishes (did I mention this party was for 80 people?) had not tried any of the things I had made to top the crostini. But because they were on top of cute little olive oil-slicked pieces of toast….
Not just the teenagers! A lot of the guests came up to me and said “Hey, I’ve never had (fill in the blank) but I tried it on one of those little toasts and I really liked it!”
Crostini are definitely a lovely little gateway vehicle for presenting something new to your gang. And as for these, the beans can be left whole, and the avocado in in little cubes OR smashed up a little. Your choice.
For a lovely opening to a summer evening serve thee up with A Peach Cocktail and a Mocktail for Mixed Company.
More Delicious Bruschetta and Crostini Recipes:
- Mushroom Bruschetta with Herbed Mayonnaise
- Smoked Salmon Crostini with Herbed Mayonnaise
- Caramelized Onion and Spinach Crostini
- Salmon and White Bean Bruschetta
Avocado And Cannellini Bean Crostini With Gremolata
Ingredients
For the Gremolata
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 clove finely minced garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the Crostini
- 1 baguette
- ½ good olive oil approximately
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 ripe Hass avocado
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini or small white beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the gremolata, in a small bowl (or a mini food processor) combine the parsley, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Slice the baguette on the diagonal into about 24 to 30 ½-inch slices, so that you get more surface area for each slice. Brush olive oil on one side of each slice of bread, arrange them on a baking sheet, and sprinkle them with salt. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted. The crostini will firm up a bit as they cool, so don’t over bake them.
- While the crostini bake, slice the avocados in half lengthwise, and remove the pit. Use a knife to cross-hatch cut the avocado into small dice right in its skin. Gently scoop the small cubes of avocado into a medium-sized bowl. Add the beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil, gremolata, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to blend. Top the crostini with the avocado-bean mixture, heaping it onto the toasts.
Yes, first I love your recipes. I also appreciate the nutritional info (could use sugar grams though), however it would be easier if we had the serving size for the nutrition info. I also appreciate the ability to change the recipe servings. Greg H.
The nutritional program is a little wonky, so it really says we have to say how many people is serves…and I hear you on being able to change the recipe serving size, and hopefully that will come in the future!