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    Home » Recipes » Gluten-Free Recipes

    Sep 10, 2014 · Modified: Jun 24, 2022 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 21 Comments

    Cheesy pesto white bean mash

    1.8K shares
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    Total time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 3
    5 from 1 vote
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    Cheesy pesto white bean mash - a protein-rich alternative to mashed potato that tastes incredible!

    I am a potato fiend. Whatever form they're in (mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, boiled, baked, fried...), they're undoubtedly my favourite part of a meal. I'll quite happily eat them cold too, so don't you go thinking those leftover roasties are safe...

    Buuut, although potatoes are far from nutritionless (they contain plenty of vitamin C, potassium and vitamin B6, for example), they're not really the best thing to fill your plate with day after day. So in an effort to inject a bit more goodness into my favourite mash, I decided to make it with white beans instead.

    Cheesy pesto white bean mash - a protein-rich alternative to mashed potato that tastes incredible!

    I never intended for this white bean mash to imitate mashed potatoes at all (it was meant to be merely an alternative, not an impersonator), but actually it was a really good likeness! I left my beans a bit chunky for texture - there are even a few whole beans in there still - but I reckon if your puréed the mixture to be quite smooth, this white bean mash would be a really good imitation of mashed potato, especially once you've added the other ingredients! It definitely curbed all of my potato cravings.

    Cheesy pesto white bean mash - a protein-rich alternative to mashed potato that tastes incredible!

    Beans don't have a huge amount of flavour on their own (like potatoes, I guess), but just one spoonful of pesto and a handful of parmesan completely transformed this white bean mash into something seriously special - I couldn't get enough of it! And it was really good to know that rather than just eating a big heap of carbs, I was getting some protein in me as well. As a vegetarian, it's always handy to find new ways of getting protein that don't just involve eating 'fake meat' every day (which I actually do really like, but it's nice to have a bit of variation!).

    Cheesy pesto white bean mash - a protein-rich alternative to mashed potato that tastes incredible!

    By the way - I know I've posted three super cheesy recipes in a row. I'm kind of ashamed (but not really, because I love cheese). I'd just like to point out that three of the four recipes that came before were totally vegan, so please don't judge me (apart from maybe for my blog organisational skills, or lack thereof)!

    Cheesy pesto white bean mash - a protein-rich alternative to mashed potato that tastes incredible!

    Cheesy pesto white bean mash

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories:
    Author: Becca Heyes
    (prevents your screen from going dark)

    Ingredients

    • 2 x 400g tin white cannellini beans 240g each when drained, drained
    • 100 ml vegetable stock
    • 75 g vegetarian parmesan-style cheese finely grated
    • 1 tablespoon basil pesto
    • Black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil optional

    Instructions

    • Add the drained beans to a saucepan with the vegetable stock, and place over a medium-low heat. Simmer gently for around 5-10 minutes, until the beans are hot and very soft. Mash with a potato masher (I left mine a little chunky for texture, but you can make them completely smooth if you prefer).
    • Remove from the heat, and add the parmesan and pesto, along with plenty of black pepper (you probably won't need any salt unless you used low-sodium stock). Mix until well combined.
    • Serve immediately drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil, if desired - or, keep in the fridge to reheat in the microwave later.

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!
    Cheesy pesto white bean mash - a protein-rich alternative to mashed potato that tastes incredible!

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    Comments

    1. Josie says

      December 28, 2014 at 8:52 pm

      Hi Becca! Just made this! Amazing! Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        December 28, 2014 at 9:15 pm

        Yay thanks Josie! :)

        Reply
    2. Nicki Escudero says

      October 01, 2014 at 5:23 pm

      Hi, Becca, I made this last night, and it was delicious! You are amazing! Nicki

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        October 01, 2014 at 9:41 pm

        Thanks so much Nicki! Glad you loved it as much as I did :D

        Reply
    3. Bel Hunt says

      September 26, 2014 at 1:42 pm

      This looks absolutely fantastic. I love cannellini beans and with Parmesan and pesto they must be divine! Will definitely be trying this over the weekend

      Reply
    4. Jack Lira says

      September 16, 2014 at 4:39 am

      Just made it. It tastes amazing. I think I'll just eat it all myself.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        September 16, 2014 at 8:31 am

        Yay I'm glad you agreed with me Jack :D go for it! ;)

        Reply
    5. Helene @Croque-Maman says

      September 12, 2014 at 3:09 pm

      This looks amazing! I rarely cook beans so I'm definitely give this a try. Thank you for this great recipe. Added to my Pinterest To Try board :-)

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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