Smoky White Bean & Spinach Breakfast Skillet
A warm Mediterranean skillet, cannellini beans simmered down with tomato, garlic, smoked paprika, and spinach, finished with a soft egg and a good pour of olive oil.
Why it works
Cannellini beans are loaded with soluble fiber and resistant starch, the combination that goes to work on LDL cholesterol. They bring potassium and magnesium too, both of them in the business of regulating blood pressure. Extra-virgin olive oil adds monounsaturated fat and polyphenols like oleocanthal, keeping your lipids healthy and your blood vessels working the way they're supposed to. Spinach and tomato round it out with more potassium and dietary nitrate for vasodilation. No added salt anywhere in the pan, and you won't miss it.
The Mediterranean and DASH evidence base keeps landing on the same three things: legumes, extra-virgin olive oil, potassium-rich vegetables. Lower blood pressure and better lipids follow.
Ingredients
- 1 can (400 g) no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 240 g canned no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- 120 g fresh spinach
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, to finish
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and soften the onion for 4 minutes, then add the garlic, smoked paprika, and cumin and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and beans and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Fold in the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Make two wells in the mixture, crack an egg into each, cover, and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the whites set and yolks are still soft.
- Finish with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, then divide between two plates and dig in.
