Featured comment
Just made this and wow!!!!! 🤯😯 How can Vegan food taste so darn good!! The flavors come together so well. I literally put this together in minutes. Will make again!
So I’m kind of having a moment with artichokes.
Just even writing that out makes me almost be able to taste their tangy-deliciousness in my mouth, even though I just ate a nice big breakfast of peanut butter pancakes and coffee and somehow it seems like a terrible time to be thinking about the tang of artichokes. But is there ever a terrible time for artichokes? NEVERRRRRR.
These little toasts are piled high with the most simple, summery, 10 minute artichoke + spinach + chickpea salad that is basically an open invitation for any and all of your fresh summer herbs. The acidic tang of the artichokes and the lemon plus the smooth, velvety, rich flavor of the olive oil and the freshness of the basil with some cracked black pepper over the whole thing? Ugh. These are the addicting flavors of summer.
It’s healthy, it’s easy, and it requires no stove or oven time whatsoever, so obviously I make basil toasts weekly because it’s just that simple and that necessary.
You guys, I have some big news. I’m starting a garden! HA HA. But I’m not kidding.
If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time and read about my black thumb issues when it comes to growing anything, or if you’ve been to my house lately and seen my poor little saggy basil plant, or if you actually knew how many times I’ve even so much as lifted a finger to do any sort of yard work (zero), you might be silently judging me. I know, and it’s totally justified, and I’m leading the charge of judgement against myself. Follow me, guys!
But last week, within that self-judgement for having never even given more than a 2% effort to grow anything in my yard, I somehow found motivation in the form of a delicious meal of grilled marinated portobello and Provolone burgers with sweet potato fries and grilled veggie skewers with homemade basil pesto and fresh mint and nectarine sangria. ARE YOU OBSESSED? I was obsessed.
This motivational meal was prepared for me by my most incredible and lovely friends, Alex and Sonja of the beautiful blog, A Couple Cooks. When I was in Indianapolis to teach a small photography workshop this week, they let me stay at their adorable old and charming + modern-ly decorated house (it’s Pinterest in real life) and they made me eat all this delicious food, lots of which was jazzed up by herbs from their garden. THEY MADE ME. It was sooo rough.
Every so often during the dinner-making-process, one of them would just pop outside to their garden and grab a handful of something delicious and come back in to infuse the garden magic into our dinner. I am totally enamored with this idea, especially because in my head it involves the hippie version of myself that makes everything from scratch, invites all the neighbors over for dinner every night, and never makes frozen pizzas. Goals.
When you garden (garden is a verb, right? I’m what you might call a NOVICE), in addition to being able to wear the badge of Person Who Grows Edible Things From The Ground, more importantly, you get to take advantage of the straight up deliciousness of fresh basil, thyme, mint, rosemary, green beans, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and more right outside your window. That is something I NEED in my life. I’m an adult. I am a capable person. I can do this. I can do this. I can really do this.
I think they could see my heart-eyes-emoji face as I gawked at the garden, so Alex gave me a 10 minute garden and compost tutorial and recommended a gardening book to me, and I bought it and devoured it on the plane ride home and currently have a small compost collection started from yesterday’s pesto and veggie scraps.
No, hold the phone.
ME. And a NONFICTION GARDENING BOOK. And COMPOST.
There is so much wrong with this picture, but let’s just roll.
And roll I will, right into the arms of this easy, tangy, fresh, herb-loaded meal that is everything summer right before I head out the door this weekend to buy all my gardening stuffs.
You guys, I don’t even need any advice, so don’t worry about leaving any in the comments. –> LIES. Tell me everything.
10 Minute White Bean Artichoke Basil Toasts
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: about 10 toasts 1x
Description
White Bean Artichoke Basil Toasts – a tangy, fresh 10 minute artichoke and basil salad loaded on whole wheat toast. Vegan.
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 14-ounce can chickpeas or white beans, rinsed and drained
- a handful of fresh basil
- juice of one lemon (or two, if you love tangy like me!)
- a generous drizzle of good quality olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 heaping cup canned or jarred artichoke hearts, drained
- about 2 cups fresh baby spinach or other greens
- 10 small pieces of whole wheat bread, toasted
Instructions
- Pulse the garlic and chickpeas and about half of the basil in a food processor until finely minced and crumbly (see picture in post).
- Cut the remaining basil into ribbons and chop the artichokes. Toss the chickpea mixture with the lemon, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper, and artichoke hearts. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- Add the spinach or greens just before serving. Serve on the toasted bread. You can also serve this with chips or in a wrap… endless possibilities, really.
Notes
If you’re going to save some of the mixture for later, save the spinach separately and add it in just before serving, otherwise it will start to get soggy in the fridge.
For the nutrition label, I used 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: white bean artichoke toast, artichoke toast, basil toast
PS. I used my food processor for this recipe, which I am totally obsessed with. Check out this post to find out my 12 Magical Ways to use a food processor and which brands/sizes I recommend.
Lindsay this looks absolutely delicious, I love artichoke and have been cooking with it a lot recently, I’ll definitely be trying these out this summer! Love that you’re starting a garden, it’s so awesome having produce/herbs you grew yourself! 🙂
I am super excited about it! Thanks Sam!
I have been having MANY moments with artichokes lately. I have 2 jars in my fridge, just in case I run out of one. THE HORROR.
I wish I could start a garden, but I just don’t think it’s promising considering I killed a cactus obce. I’ll drown my sorrows in toast. Pinned!
You sound like me. 🙂 Fingers crossed that I can change my gardening ways….
Oh you’ll LOVE gardening! We compost (really cut down on our trash and the soil is nutrient gold) and have 4 square foot gardens. Basil is tricky, don’t feel bad. But YES to going out back to pick herbs for dinner, I cannot express how much better things taste. And strawberries, do it. You cannot kill them they will take over your garden. Actually I’m not sure what works in your gardening zone, I’m in MD so a lot farther south. Gardening is incredibly rewarding I hope you enjoy it!
Love this! thanks Lauren! I’m inspired to try strawberries now!
Oh my gosh, I started a garden this week too! Jalapenos, sweet mint and basil for now. Can I ask what the gardening book your friend recommended to you was?
Yes! It was Square Foot Gardening by Mel something or other. 🙂
Love that you are gardening, ladies. And Yes! Mel’s book is great! – full of very easy ways to save yourself lots of grief.
FYI – pay attention to any warnings you hear about plants, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In this case, a few minutes of planing now can save you HOURS of weeding later. Mint can be invasive so be sure to rigidly confine it in its own space, because as soon as it goes into the ground, it starts sending out roots which go everywhere. When you prune, trim, etc, make sure everything goes right into the compost. Don’t leave it on the ground until later or it will put down hair-like roots which will take hold.
Enjoy!
Great tips! Thanks!
Gardening is so amazing and it’s proven to relieve stress which is the BEST. The fact that you can literally put food on the table knowing you grew it from a seed in the ground with your own hands is pure bliss. So rewarding! And these toasts look amaze-balls. But so does everything you take pictures of. I’ve come to the conclusion that you can take pictures of garbage and make it look appetizing. Too far? Maybe, but it’s true.
Hahaha – not sure about that, but thanks Megan! 🙂
These toasts sounds incredible!! Love this flavour!
Thanks Katrina! Appreciate that!
I also request the name of the recommended book, please! And compost tips. And frequent updates of your garden as you go/grow. 🙂 All of this because, for the first time and with much trepidation, I am also trying this Growing Edible Things adventure (hold me). Working on 3 tomato plants, 2 bell pepper plants, and a jalapeno in large pots on our deck (no garden/backyard space). WE CAN DO THIS (right?!) Best of luck and high fives to you!
Square Foot Gardening! I’ll link it in the post. WE CAN DO THIS!
I’m not new to gardening, but last year was my first year trying my hand at veggies instead of just flowers. Not sure what it’s like in your neighborhood, but here in Shoreview, so many of my plants were mowed down by the gol-darn stupid deer. I was just about ready to give it up until my husband built us a beautiful tall fence. Everything was so much easier after that.
I planted a bunch of seeds last year, and despite my certainty that nothing would grow, everything came up and grew like crazy. Don’t be afraid to thin out your plants. One of my mistakes from last year. This year I’ve got nothing in the ground yet except my strawberry plants from last year. I’ll throw some seeds in still, but because it’s already June (when did that happen?) we’re also going to head to the St. Paul farmer’s market this weekend to pick up a bunch of starts. Gardening is so much fun and super rewarding, you can totally do it!
We are lucky – we have a fence already! 🙂 Thanks for all the tips Susan!
This post makes me so happy! I can’t wait until hippie-Pinch is a master gardener. Now that you’ve put it out on the Internet, you have to do it!
bahaha. I know, now it’s Internet Official.
I have ZERO tips for you as my thumb is – for sure – blacker than yours! But I’m excited to learn about the gardening process from a fellow plant killer 🙂 And even more excited to chow down on some artichoke toasts!
Yeahhh! Can’t wait to see what I can grow! 🙂
I’ve started “gardening” now that we have a yard with a fence so my dogs can’t pee on it – they ruined the one at the old house. Guys – I don’t expect you to help, but could you not ruin stuff?!
Anyway, herbs basically grow themselves, so you shouldn’t have any trouble. I had dill and chives and parsley come back from last year and I didn’t even try! I had great luck with tomatoes, too. Just make sure you pick a sunny spot for the garden. Ours is in a lot we took over after the city tore down an abandoned house – so you can bet the soil is awful. We’re using compost to slowly improve it, but the plants are happy anyway!
This recipe looks great – simple, fast, no-cook meals are best when you’ve gotta get out to water the garden!
That’s awesome! Love that Cath! And glad you got the dog situation taken care of 🙂
Oh gosh, yet another reason to get a food processor! You are right. I need one. What am I waiting for? Also, that dinner with your friends sounds amazing! Plus this >> fresh mint and nectarine sangria >> recipe?? How do I make this magic?!
Right?! I know. They are awesome.
Love this! I have big dreams of an herb garden when I get my own place. These toasts look awesome 🙂 Pinning!
Thank Medha!
I grew up in Alabama, and my parents had a huge garden–tomatoes, beans, corn, potatoes, squash, everything. We canned and froze produce all summer long. We gave extra away. If it wasn’t great, we gave it to the goats. Then my husband and I moved to SoCal for his job, and I pay $1.98/lb for tomatoes that would have been goat food. 🙂 I have a little patio with pots of basil, cilantro (which is struggling to keep up with my need for green sauce), parsley, thyme, and flowers, and it has been a learning experience to try to garden in a different part of the country.
It’s trial and error. Plants don’t grow because you want them to; they grow because they have the right amount of sunlight and water and the right type of climate and soil. Picking the right plants and putting them in the right amount of sun is so important. And then you get it all like you want it, and a bunch of snails and slugs move in and eat it up overnight. Seriously, the snails here are ridiculous, and I’ve been known to go out at night with a flashlight to get them off my little herbs. It’s always something, but you learn what does work and what doesn’t. My point is, don’t get discouraged if something fails. Some things will grow great; some things will die. I don’t think there’s such a thing as people with a “green thumb.” I think they are just people who pay attention, are patient, and make adjustments without giving up.
Sad! That’s crazy about the snails – I would have never thought of that!
I have herbs in pots on my deck just outside my kitchen. Here in SE Pennsylvania, I learned very quickly that groundhogs LOVE to devour the foliage on all the yummy veggie plants, having witnessed them on the deck, climbing into the big patio pots of tomato plants. CRAZY!
Question about the recipe–how about cannelini beans instead of chick peas?
Yes! That would be lovely, too! And I think I used them originally or in some version of the test recipe which is why I called it white bean toasts 🙂
I’m starting small: I have basil, mint, and rosemary in pots on our deck. I have to water them a lot (as in every day, and I’ve got to stop being so lazy because then they die) but they stay pretty weed-free, which is a big bonus for me. I live in Florida, so your mileage will definitely vary, but for me, these three grow really well as long as they get enough water (again, every day for the basil. Needy, needy plant). If all goes well, I’m adding chives!
Yes! I will have to get out there tonight and water away! It’s been so hot here lately.
Welcome to the world of gardening! There’s nothing like a garden’s bounty. Some call it gardening, I call it therapy. 🙂 By the way, these artichoke basil toasts are giving me life!!
Ha! So funny – garden therapy sounds just right!
I think I could spare 10 minutes for that!
I hope you do!
I am in love with artichokes. I could eat them any time of any day (maybe even for breakfast…) HA! This recipe is right up my alley and I think I might just have to make it today. Artichokes are calling my name.
Yay! hope you like it Chelsea.
yummy! I love white bean anything, and this looks absolutely perfect!
Thanks Sarah!
Wow – this looks delicious. Definitely going to try this one.
Awesome! I hope you like it Esther.
This looks amazing!! I love making white bean dip, but have never put it on toast. The pics are beautiful, makes me want to make this right now!!
Yes! white bean dip… with roasted garlic… I need it.
Just made this, it’s beyond delicious! We have company over and served it as an appetizer while we grilled up dinner. No doubt it was gobbled up very quickly. A huge hit! Thanks Lindsay for another easy yet stellar recipe!
Thanks Leah! Love hearing that!
It only takes 10 minutes? So delicious. Thank you a lot, Lindsay!
Hope you enjoy them! 🙂
This looks so delicious! I love making fresh beany smashes on toast – the best summery al fresco snack!
beany smashes is the best way to describe this! 🙂