If you’re trying to work on increasing your beans or need a vegetarian (or vegan) meal option this is for you!

Swapping even just 3% of your animal protein for plant protein can reduce all cause mortality and cardiovascular disease risk (PMID 32658243).

But for me it is less about limiting certain foods and focusing more on increasing health promoting foods! Beans have amazing health properties they are a good plant protein source, high in fiber, high in iron among other minerals and are associated with improved heart health, gut health, blood sugar control and reduced incidence of cancer.

In the Mediterranean diet we try to aim for over 3 (1/3 cup) servings of beans per week.

Ingredients:
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 can chickpeas
6 garlic cloves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 cup cannellini beans
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (*can use dairy alternative here to make this vegan)
1/2 lemon, juice
1 oz fresh parsley, chopped
Sourdough bread
*Harrisa paste over top is great too!

Directions: Preheat oven to 400F. In a casserole dish mix together cherry tomatoes and chickpeas. Create a little bowl out of foil and add garlic and rosemary. Top everything with olive oil salt and pepper and roast for for 20-30 minutes until tomatoes have started to shrivel a bit. Remove from oven and remove rosemary. Make the confit in a blender by adding adding cannellini beans, yogurt, garlic with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and blend. Place confit on a plate, top with tomato and chickpea mixture, add parsley over top. *I did not do this but saw a recipe with Harissa paste over top that looked delicious! Enjoy with bread or as is!