Refreshing White Beans & Greens ( A Mediterranean Inspired Dish )

I just made this delicious recipe for lunch, tweaked a few ingredients to satisfy my taste buds, and really enjoyed the flavors in this vegan & dairy free dish. I first saw a version of this recipe on a wellness blogger’s stories ( @wellnessbykelly). I made it this summer for my husband and I, but it didn’t seem to be much of a hit. I’ve kept it in the back of my mind, though, because I really liked the freshness and simplicity of this dish and I had never cooked with or enjoyed white beans before.

Now that I am beginning my own wellness journey, I’m searching for dishes with no or very little cholesterol and trying out some dairy free substitutes, as well. That’s how I began thinking of this white bean dish. I decided to give it another try, adding fresh squeezed lemon, less peas ( not a fan) and more fresh herbs and mediterranean spices. It was delicious! I’m happy to share it with you .

You will need : 1 leek, 2 garlic cloves, 1 can of Cannellini Beans ( 14 0z), 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, 1/2 cup fresh dill, 1/2 cup Italian parsley, 1-2 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup organic spinach, 2 Tbsp Za’atar ( I found mine at Whole Foods market), a lemon, an avocado , a container of Kite Hill’s plain unsweetened almond milk yogurt.( You can use any brand of greek style yogurt if you’re not concerned about the dairy. )

PREP: Trim and slice the leek, mince the garlic, drain and rinse beans, chop the herbs.

Directions: Sautee’ the leeks in the olive oil in a skillet for a few minutes on medium low heat. Next, stir in your garlic for a minute. Add beans and peas and sautée for a few minutes. Once the peas look thawed, add in 1/2 of the spinach. Once that is cooked down a bit, add the rest of the spinach, as well as your 3 herbs (mint, then parsley, then the dill) and sautee’ another minute or so. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Za’atar, mixing it in thoroughly. Squeeze some lemon on top and mix. Perfect ! Portion onto each plate, slice avocado on top and add a dollop (of the dairy free yogurt) in the middle. Squeeze a little more lemon juice over the avocado, a dash of Himalayan pink salt & black pepper, if you like, and enjoy! So refreshing, light, yet filling!

You can enjoy this with warm pita chips, fill a pita pocket with it or toast some crostini drizzled with olive oil to serve with this. It make a perfect & pretty lunch!

This time I enjoyed mine with a toasted slice of fresh baked sourdough bread, topped with Smart Balance buttery spread. It was so yummy , but now my wheels are turning again. I think next time I’ll save the avocado and make avocado toast to serve with this , instead. What do you think? Let me know! You can always leave a comment for me on my posts on instagram @purejoy_lifestyle since that’s where I live lol 🙂 I’d love to hear your comments . Eat well, be well.