White Bean Crostini Appetizer

This white bean crostini appetizer is wholesome, savory, and completely addicting! The crusty garlic bread is topped with tender beans and herbs to make the very best vegetarian appetizer.

White bean crostini on a gray plate topped with fresh rosemary and parmesan cheese, next to a bunch of parsley and a sprig of rosemary.

Truly great vegetarian finger food can be hard to come by, but every time I find it I fall in love. They almost always have a great combination of flavors and textures.

If you're looking for a holiday appetizer for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, game day, or really any occasion, this white bean appetizer really satisfies. It's pretty wholesome, which is a great way to hold yourself over until the big meal, and the salty/herby flavor is super addicting.

Parties aside, this also makes a lovely light lunch alongside a green salad or cup of soup. The combination of carbs and protein will give you plenty of energy for the rest of the day.

Ingredients

Whole wheat baguette
Olive oil
Garlic
Shallot
Fresh rosemary
Fresh parsley
Canned great northern beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese

How to make

Preheat the broiler on your oven and place an oven rack on the highest position.
Cut slightly diagonal slices of the baguette about ½" - ¾" thick. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle both sides with olive oil. Broil, watching closely, until just toasted. Flip and toast the other side.
Remove the bread from the oven and rub with the cut side of the garlic. Set aside.
In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened.
Add herbs and cook, stirring, until fragrant.
Add the beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place spoonfuls of the bean mixture onto each toast slice and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Top tips

Choosing your bread

This recipe will work with both fresh and stale bread, just make sure it isn't moldy or otherwise compromised. Choosing day old bread could be a great way to save money on your holiday meal since these loaves are often sold at a discount.

How to slice a baguette

I recommend slicing a baguette with a serrated knife (affiliate link). Cut the loaf on a diagonal to give you lots of surface area for adding the topping.

Slices of baguette drizzled with olive oil on a sheet pan.

Toasted pieces of baguette on a sheet pan.

How to get garlic flavor without it being overpowering

To get just a hint of garlic flavor in our toast, we're rubbing it with a clove of garlic cut in half. The rough, oiled toast will gently scrape away a little bit of the garlic, leaving you with just the right amount of flavor.

I usually use on half of the clove on half of the toast, and the other half on the rest of the toast to make sure I'm getting plenty of fresh garlic flavor.

Tips for customizing

Cook diced mushrooms in the pan until they release their liquid before adding the shallot for a mushroom and bean crostini
Swap the entire bean mixture for my white bean dip or spinach and white beans
Omit the cheese to make this vegan
Use a gluten-free bread or hearty gluten-free cracker to make this gluten-free

A stack of white bean crostini on a gray plate.

FAQ

What is crostini?

Crostini is an Italian appetizer made of small circles of toast with toppings. We're using a baguette to make the little toasts, and topping with a savory bean mixture.

Other options for topping crostini could be a variety of cheeses, meats, vegetables, and spreads.

What substitutions can I make?

This recipe is easy to customize to what you have available to you.
If you don't have a baguette, you can substitute another crusty, sturdy loaf sliced to your preferred size. I do not recommend using soft sandwich bread because it won't hold up well enough to contain the beans.

If you don't have great northern beans, you could substitute cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, or butter beans.

You could also substitute the shallot for 2 cloves of garlic or half a small yellow onion.

Is parmesan cheese vegetarian?

Most parmesan cheese is not vegetarian, however some brands do make a vegetarian version using vegetable rennet. If this is important to you, omit the cheese or look for one made without animal rennet.

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh herbs?

You can swap the fresh herbs for 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and 1 teaspoon dried sage.