Are you looking for an easy, low-effort appetizer for a spring brunch, backyard gathering, cocktail party, or holiday celebration? Spring Pea & Bean Crostini are right at home at any occasion, dressed up enough for company but simple enough for casual entertaining.
Spring Pea & Bean Crostini
There’s a little secret to this recipe, and you may not want to reveal it unless someone asks. The bean in this recipe? It’s a lima bean. While fava beans (often served in Italy) often get all the attention in spring crostini spreads, the much-maligned lima bean quietly steals the show here. And it all comes together in about 20 minutes. From mostly freezer ingredients.
About Spring Pea & Bean Crostini:
Honestly, even I had doubts, even as I was developing and testing it. I mean the combination, right? But the fear melted away at the first taste of this luxurious spread. Serve this, and people will be crowding around to get to another one! And they’ll be blissfully unaware of any potentially shady ingredients. Or should I say stealthy ingredients?
Lima beans’ mild, slightly sweet flavor makes them perfect for this spread. Combined with garden peas and just a touch of cream, they create a smooth, rich blend that’s bright, fresh, and unmistakably springlike. It’s the kind of appetizer that tastes like springtime all year round.
Spring Pea & Bean Crostini
Making Spring Pea & Bean Crostini:
There’s nothing to making this recipe. Cook the Lima beans till softened, add in the peas and heat through, then drain. Toss them in either a blender or a food processor and blend away. Then add the olive oil, cream, and the salt and pepper to taste.
I love the way the delicate flavors shine through in this spread. If you’d like to make a variation, try a little garlic, mint, or rosemary. Tarragon is an inspired choice. Don’t overpower the spread with herbs, though. Go by taste.
To make for a larger group, the crostini can be toasted or grilled the day before, and the spread is fine in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving. It will thicken up as stored. Bring to room temperature and stir in, gently, by the tablespoon, either olive oil, cream, or water until a nice spreadable consistency.
Cream may be substituted with ricotta, sour cream, or yogurt. The amounts needed may slightly vary. Use your judgment to get the texture just right, adding a little less and then a little more if needed until the mixture is spreadable.
Lima Facts:
- Lima beans should never be eaten raw; when raw, they contain a chemical similar to cyanide. Overcooked Lima beans may be why they’ve earned a reputation; they can become bitter.
Serving Spring Pea & Bean Crostini:
These Spring Pea & Bean Crostini make a wonderful appetizer for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any spring gathering. They’re just as good in summer.
And they’re gorgeous with little effort.
- Spread on a generous layer of the Spring Pea & Bean on crostini and watch them disappear.
- Garnish with chives if you want. Add a dab of creamy ricotta on the top of crostini, or shavings of Parmesan, if you wish.
- Note: I loved the way the chives and blossoms here look, but found the long chives had to be removed – they’re difficult to eat. You may want to avoid the drama and use sliced chives.
Winning at the Grocery:
The secret isn’t always where you shop, it’s when. Do take advantage of discount stores like Aldi and Lidl, and selectively at your buyers’ club. Shop ethnic markets if you have them and watch grocery sales. But that’s not the full picture.
Most ingredients have predictable sales cycles. Learning those patterns can make a bigger impact on your grocery budget than chasing sales and coupons alone.
I try to buy ingredients at their best value and keep enough on hand to avoid paying top price later. It’s a simple idea, but it has saved me far more than any coupon ever did.
Learn more in my Winning at the Grocery series. Here’s how it plays out in my kitchen with this recipe. No one will ever guess this comes from a few freezer staples: frozen baby Limas and frozen peas – and they’ll never know they were from last fall when I picked them up at rock bottom. Day-old bread is perfect for crostini; I checked the store’s bakery. The cream was already in my fridge, purchased at a low.
Cream:
Store cream in the bottom of the fridge, not the door. It’s often good past the “best if used by” date. Once opened, use it sooner rather than later. Within a week or two for whipping cream, up to three for heavy cream, but test it (below).
- Cream is always cheaper at discount groceries like Aldi & Lidl. Their everyday price usually beats out the buyer’s club and the best grocery store holiday sales price.
- If the standard grocery is your only option, get in the habit of buying cream when the price drops. It goes on sale before nearly every holiday. An extra carton in the fridge has a way of finding a purpose, whether it’s a splash in a sauce, a batch of mashed potatoes, a soup, or a last-minute dessert.
- Don’t rely solely on the sniff test when checking freshness. The cream around the spout is exposed to more air and can smell off long before the cream inside has spoiled. If the cream has changed color or developed lumps, toss it, but know that very fresh cream can sometimes separate. A quick test is to pour a little into hot water. If it breaks into curds, it’s time to toss.
Frozen Vegetables:
To everything, there is a season, and frozen vegetables have a cycle of their own.
- Late summer through early fall is often the best time to buy. Harvests are in, warehouses are full, and discounts begin as stores clear the way to prepare for holiday promotions.
- Once winter arrives, prices on frozen vegetables creep up, although Frozen Foods Month in March can bring some relief.
- Watch for coupons, digital offers, and store promotions. Frozen vegetables are one of the easiest items to stock up on when the price is right.
Hi, and welcome! I’m happy to see you here! I hope you enjoy the Spring Pea & Bean Crostini. It might initially strike some as odd, but it’s one of the most fabulous recipes I’ve made this Spring. I’d love it if you let me know what you think.
Mollie
Spring Pea & Bean Crostini
Spring Pea & Bean Crostini
These bring spring all year long!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 crostini 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 16 baguette slices, each 1/4 inch thick (about 1/2 large baguette)
- 12 ounces baby lima beans, frozen is fine
- 1/4 pound peas, frozen is fine
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling and brushing crostini
- 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, to taste
- fresh or dried herbs to taste: rosemary, tarragon, mint, or chives
- A few shavings of Parmesan or other cheese, dollops of Ricotta or a few herbs for garnish, a drizzle of olive oil, as desired
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 350°F.
Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake, turning once halfway through baking, until lightly golden, about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a small saucepan with a 1/2 cup of water, cook Lima beans until tender, add peas, and heat through. Drain.
In a food processor or blender, combine the bean pea mixture, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 tablespoons of the cream, and process until a fairly smooth puree. Add more cream to reach desired consistency.
Add the salt, pepper, and herb(s) of your choice if using (see note), pulse to mix, taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking. Spread the puree on the baguette slices and arrange on a platter. Garnish as desired, serve immediately.
This may be made a day ahead but will thicken a bit upon standing, loosen with a little water, olive oil, or cream.
Note: Herbs that go well in this recipe are garlic, mint, rosemary, tarrangon chives or garlic. Add to taste.
———————————
I’m posting Spring Pea & Bean Crostini at Fiesta Friday, co-hosted by Caroline @Caroline’s Cooking and Elaine @foodbod.
2 thoughts on “Spring Pea & Bean Crostini”