This White Bean and Salami Toast Is a Quick *and* Filling Dinner

“Beans on toast is one of those magical foods that, once assembled, is far more than the sum of its parts,” food writer and culinary creator Georgia Freedman writes in her book Snacking Dinners. “If you’ve never had it, the combination of these two extremely common (and not super exciting) beige-brown ingredients might sound, well, pretty boring.” But don’t start snoozing just yet — this dish has more flavor than meets the eye.

Freedman continues, “The combination works so well that it has become a staple in a variety of countries: In England you’ll find a version made of baked beans with sugar and tomato; in Italy you might see white beans flavored with garlic and Parmesan (plus high-quality olive oil, of course).” And who are we to quibble with a cross-cultural icon?

Freedman’s own recipe is inspired by the Italian method, but she integrates one of her favorite pantry essentials: salami (“a staple we keep tucked in the back of the fridge”). Dried oregano contributes an earthy note that will add dimension to each bite. The end result is a deceptively flavorful meal that’s extra filling and easy to toss together: “It’s the kind of dish that you might make in a pinch, just because all the ingredients are so easy to keep around, but once you taste it, you’ll make it again and again.”

Ingredients

• 4 salami slices
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 slices sourdough or a long piece of baguette cut in half lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ cups (255 g) drained cooked or canned white beans, such as cannellini
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons grated or shredded
• Parmesan, plus more to garnish

Instructions

1. Finely chop the salami slices and mince the garlic.
2. Toast the bread.
3. Heat the oil in a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat, then add the salami, garlic, and beans, season everything with a few grinds of pepper (a bit more than you would normally think necessary), and a few generous shakes of oregano. Cook the mixture, stirring, until everything is heated through, about 3 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan, then pile everything on top of the toasted bread and finish it with more Parmesan.

Excerpted with permission from Snacking Dinners by Georgia Freedman,  published by ‎Hardie Grant Publishing, April 2025, RRP $30.00 Hardcover.