This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
The easiest white bean mash made with cannellini beans, rosemary, lemon and garlic. A super quick and healthy alternative to mashed potatoes. Serve with grilled or roasted meat or fish or even serve on slices of toasted ciabatta as a snack.
Bean mash is the easiest thing in the world to make and you probably already have everything in your kitchen to make it.
This simple side dish consists of just five simple ingredients;
- cannellini beans (white beans)
- garlic
- rosemary
- lemon
- olive oil
Those five ingredients create a creamy, rustic, garlic bean mash that’s so delicious you could skip the meat or fish and go straight for the mash. Seriously, a bowl of this with some crusty bread or toasted ciabatta is all I need.
It also makes a great alternative to mashed potatoes. Let’s be honest, mashed potatoes don’t take long to whip up but this white bean mash takes no more than 10 minutes start to finish (super quick). So, if you’re like me and sometimes need dinner like NOW then you definitely don’t need to wait long for this.
How To Make White Bean Mash – Step By Step
Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and saute the garlic and rosemary for a few seconds, don’t let the garlic brown.
Add the cannellini beans with a squeeze of lemon juice, zest, another tablespoon of oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the beans for 2-3 minutes, then start to mash them with a fork.
Tip: At this point you can decide what consistency you’d like the bean mash to be. I like to mash around half of the beans for a rustic style mash. For a creamy consistency add a splash of water or stock (around 1/2 cup) and mash them all with a fork until creamy.
What Could I Have White Bean Mash With?
Here are some simple dinner ideas to serve your bean mash with;
- grilled salmon fillet or your favourite fish
- sausages
- pork chops
- grilled chicken
- grilled veggies such as zucchini
- marinated eggplant
- Oven baked crusted pork chops
- steak, marinated in herbs, fresh chilli, lemon
- serve on toasted ciabatta bread
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
White Bean Mash With Rosemary and Lemon
Ingredients
- 30 oz (840g) 30oz cannellini beans, , pre-cooked
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 juice of 1 lemon
- zest of half a lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small bunch rosemary
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup (125ml) water or stock, (optional)
Instructions
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and saute the garlic and rosemary for a few seconds, don't let the garlic brown.
- Add the cannellini beans with the lemon juice, zest, another tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the beans for 2-3 minutes, then start to mash them with a fork.
- At this point you can decide what consistency you'd like the bean mash to be. I like to mash around half of the beans for a rustic style mash. For a creamy consistency add a splash of water or stock (around 1/2cup/125ml) and mash them all with a fork until creamy.
Notes
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve never even thought to make mashed beans before, but it sounds delicious and I bet my kids would love it!
They are so easy to whip up too, perfect for weeknights!
This mash looks like such a great idea as a side dish – healthy, comforting and delicious!
Thanks Natalie!
I know you mention meats you can eat with this, but I would eat it just by itself with crusty bread. Can’t wait to make this!!
I don’t blame you, I totally do that too lol thanks Maggie!
I love simple dishes like this. Rosemary flavor is perfect with white beans too.
Thanks Jill!
Oh this looks just like something I would enjoy! And I would put this on toasted ciabatta bread like you suggested. 🙂
Thanks Julia 🙂
We have a huge rosemary plant in the backyard. I’ve been using it more lately. I think rosemary is a good winter flavor. This bean dish looks like a great way to use the rosemary.
Rosemary is such a hardy plant, it’s great that it lasts all year round. This would be perfect!