This lovely summer dish is one to prepare if you – or someone you know – has a glut of courgettes, said Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. But it also brings out the best in shop-bought courgettes. It only takes about half an hour or so, and contains lots of fibre and other nutrients. Perfect for a weekday lunch, or as a simple dinner-party starter.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 firm, medium courgettes (about 350g total weight)
- 1 garlic clove, slivered
- 2 tsp baby capers or chopped larger capers
- 2 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon, or finely grated zest of ½ a lemon
- 400g tin cannellini beans, drained with 1-2 tbsp liquid saved (or from a jar, about 240g drained weight)
- 2 large slices of wholegrain bread
- sea salt and black pepper
To finish:
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- extra-virgin olive oil, to trickle
- a small handful of parsley, chopped (optional)
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (ideally at least 28cm) over a medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and fry, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, until soft and golden. In the meantime, slice the courgettes about 5mm thick.
- Add the courgettes to the pan and fry for 10-15 minutes, until they are softening and colouring in places, turning up the heat a little if you need to.
- Toss in the garlic, capers and preserved lemon or lemon zest and cook, stirring now and then, for a minute or two.
- Now add the beans with the saved liquid (a nice way to lubricate them a little). Stir well, then put the lid on the pan and cook gently for a few minutes to heat the beans through. Taste to check the seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread.
- Pile the bean and courgette mixture onto the hot toast. Spritz with lemon juice, trickle with extra-virgin olive oil and scatter with chopped parsley, if you like. Serve straight away.
- Tip: you can switch in any tinned beans or chickpeas here. You can also use frozen edamame beans: put them into a pan, cover with boiling water and simmer until tender while you cook the onions and courgettes; drain and add at the end.
- Tip: for a crunchy finish, toast 2 tbsp pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds in a dry pan before cooking anything else; set aside. Scatter over the courgettes before serving.
Taken from “High Fibre Heroes” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
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