After a weekend away, I LIVE by simple, healthy recipes to get me through the week. Trips out-of-town (at least mine) are typically filled with decadent food, eating out more frequently than normal, and a few more cocktails than usual, so my body is craving fresh, healthy home-cooked meals by the time I make my way home (but also chocolate, because that just never goes away).
This past weekend, I spent 4 days in Philadelphia visiting my sister and it was the most perfect weekend trip! My younger sister surprised me by also driving up to visit and we had am absolute blast exploring the city, eating delicious food, and catching up on life. We lucked out and had gorgeous weather the entire time— 70 degrees and clear blue skies— well done, Philadelphia! Especially since they got snow the weekend before! Anyways, more to come on this trip later…
Make sure you check back next week for a full photo recap of my weekend away. But for now… this simple, healthy, oh-so-creamy sandwich of my dreams….
Two things that I always have on hand in my kitchen: avocado and canned beans. Between Costco and my local grocery store, I’m always stocking up on handfuls of avocados, just in case we want to whip up a big batch of guac or make some creamy avocado pasta. Same goes for beans— chickpeas, white beans, kidney beans, black beans— there’s always a chance I want to throw together a quick lentil chili or a batch of homemade hummus, so I can always count on them being in my pantry.
So when I get back into town and barely have enough time to throw in a load of laundry, let alone meal prep my typical veggies and salads and grains before the work week begins, you KNOW I’m putting together some crazy simple meals to get me through the week!
That’s where this sandwich comes into play.
Instead of your typical chickpea salad, I decided to make white beans the star and mashed them together with some creamy avocado, whole grain mustard, lemon, and fresh basil. I kept some of my white beans a little chunky to add some texture to my salad and it was the perfect consistency for this sandwich! Mixed with all those fresh flavors and tangy mustard— I’d say it was one of the best thrown-together dishes I’ve made in a while!
The whole recipe takes about 5 1/2 minutes to throw together and is SO versatile once the salad is prepped. For quick and easy lunches, we make a sandwich or a wrap about it it (just like this), but you can also use it to top a salad, a veggie bowl, a baked potato, or just plain all by itself!
So that’s it from me for today! Have a wonderful rest of your week and I’ll see you on Friday 🙂
Smashed White Bean, Basil, & Avocado Sandwich
Print recipe| Serves | 3-4 |
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Dietary | Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Main Dish, Salad |
Ingredients
- 1 heaped tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado, sliced
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- for the sandwich (optional): baby spinach, romaine, arugula, tomato slices
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Pour white beans into a large bowl and mashed a little with a potato masher. Add in the diced avocado and lemon juice, then mash until there are just a few chunks of bean and avocado left. Stir in the mustard, basil, salt and pepper, then taste and adjust flavors as necessary. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Spoon onto a sandwich, salad, veggie bowl, or just eat it as is! It's delicious any way! | |
Sounds SO GOOD. I’ve been on a bean kick too lately but haven’t cooked with white beans for a while, so I’m going to test this out next week for lunch!! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Ohhh yay!!! I’m so glad you like it! You’ll have to let me know what you think 🙂
Gahh these pictures, Liz!! Absolutely stunning 🙂 I can’t wait to hear more about your trip!
Thanks so much Alexa! They were super fun to photograph! I usually don’t love photographing sandwiches but I totally got into my groove with this one 😉
Oh my gosh, yum! This is totally my kind of sandwich 🙂
Thanks Mel! We totally agree on that!
I love how you kept some of the beans whole for the texture! And the addition of basil I don’t think I would have thought of that flavor combo! Can’t wait to use this when I’m short on meal prep time!
I’m all about that texture! Definitely give it a try— I think you’ll love it!
YUM!!! Give, give give!
Thanks Rebecca!
Avocados and beans! YES! Girl, this sandwich looks like a dream. I am all for those hearty/fresh combinations and this seems like just the thing <3
Thanks Maya!! Perfect for spring!
this combo sounds incredible! What a perfect take on traditional chicken salad 🙂
This looks SOOO incredibly good! I’ve never thought of smashing these ingredients into a sandwich. I love it and I will definitely be doing it myself soon 🙂
Thanks Kathryn!! It’s SUCH a great combo— I know you’ll love it 🙂
I am so the same way after trips! All I want is home-cooked super easy meals! This sandwich sounds sooo good. Also perfect for all the warmer weather coming our way! (I’m all about the sandwiches and salads during summer!)
The weather has been incredible, right?!?! I just want to soak up that NC sun all day long! And these sandwiches are definitely perfect this beautiful weather 🙂
Oh yum! This is like the perfect combo of guac and hummus! I have these ingredients on hand so I’m thinking this may be dinner! 🙌 We’re about to go on a mini-trip, so I’m packing up lots of healthy snacks to eat in-between those indulgent meals. I know I’ll also be ready for some home cooking by the end of it, lol!
Ohh have SO much fun Joscelyn! I love to do the same thing when I travel— because I KNOW I’ll be hungry between meals, especially if we’re doing a lot of walking. Hope you like these sandwiches 🙂
Liz, I love how simple this is and yet it sounds so DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to try it!! Excited to hear about Philly!! 🙂
Thanks Lucia!! You’re going to LOVE it!!
This is definitely my kind of sandwich! Yummmmmmmm!
Totally agree!! Thanks Kristy 🙂
I just bought a whole bunch of avocados and was wondering what to with them. This is the perfect solution!
For sure!! Thanks for stopping by Cathleen 🙂
Does this seem to keep? Could I make a bunch to have lunches for a couple of days or does it brown? Does the lemon help with that?
It keeps between 2-3 days for me— but I typically put extra lemon in for some additional acid to help with the coloring. It will start to turn a little brown, but it still tastes fine. Hope that helps!
This looks delicious! I’m a vegetarian and a college student, so naturally, any meal that’s healthy, vegetarian, and that has minimal prep time is ideal! Do you happen to know approximately how many calories this would be (not including the bread)?
Thanks so much Gabriella! I was in your boat a few years ago so I totally understand. The whole recipe is about 550 calories (depending on how big your avocado is), but it makes about 4 servings!