White bean toast with Provençal ratatouille

Load charred sourdough with chilli-spiked white bean purée, fresh ratatouille and Provençal pesto

Ingredients

For the pistou sauce

• 50g/1¾oz fresh basil
• 15g/½oz garlic
• 7 tbsp olive oil

For the white bean purée

• 300g/10½oz cooked white beans, rinsed (such as haricot beans from a jar or tin)
• glug oil
• ½ lemon, juice only
• ½ fresh red chilli, seeds removed and finely diced
• 1 slice crustless bread (optional)
• pinch salt

For the ratatouille

• 1 aubergine, halved
• 1 red pepper
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• splash olive oil
• 1 fresh heritage tomato, finely chopped
• 1 courgette, finely chopped or grated
• splash white wine vinegar
• handful fresh basil leaves, torn, to garnish

To serve

• white sourdough bread
• pistou sauce (from above)

Method

1. Put all the pistou sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Put the white bean purée ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth but still retaining some texture. You can add a chunk of crustless bread to the mix if you’d like your purée to be thicker. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

3. Drizzle the aubergine and whole red pepper in oil, then put directly onto the grill to char and soften. If using a barbecue, place the red pepper directly onto the coals to char.

4. Gently fry the shallots in a pan with some olive oil until soft.

5. Chop the cooked aubergine then do the same with the red pepper (peeling and removing the seeds first). Put into a bowl with the heritage tomato and raw courgette. Add the cooked shallots, a pinch of salt and pepper, the white wine vinegar, a glug of olive oil and the basil.

6. Char or toast the bread, then spread a generous spoonful of white bean purée on top. Add a tablespoon of the ratatouille, then top with the pistou.

White bean toast with Provençal ratatouille