- 600g leeks
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 600ml oat drink
- 2 x 400g tins of butter beans
- 1 lemon
- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- A handful of thyme
- 150g grissini breadsticks
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt + black pepper
- 1.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Trim the roots and woody greens off the leeks, rinse out any grit, then slice them into 1cm-thick rounds.
- 2.
Place a shallow, ovenproof casserole dish or pan on a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry, stirring often, for 8-10 mins till soft and bright green. Scoop the leeks out of the pan and set aside.
- 3.
Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan and add 2 tbsp cornflour. Gently whisk for 2 mins to form a paste. Slowly pour in 600ml oat drink, little by little. Keep whisking as you add the oat drink till you have a smooth sauce. Continue to cook for 5-10 mins or till the sauce has thickened.
- 4.
Drain the butter beans. Finely grate the zest from the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the sauce and add 2 tsp wholegrain mustard. Crumble in the vegetable stock cube. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- 5.
Return the leeks to the pan and add the butter beans. Reduce the heat to low and gently cook for 5 mins to allow the flavours to develop.
- 6.
Meanwhile, prepare the crunchy herb topping. Pick the thyme leaves off their woody stalks. Add them to a blender with the lemon zest and break in grissini breadsticks. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blitz for 30-45 seconds to form a herby crumb. No blender? Roughly chop the thyme and snap the breadsticks then mix together to make a chunkier topping.
- 7.
Scatter the herby crumb on top of the leek and bean mixture. Place the dish in the oven. Bake for 15-20 mins till golden and crispy on top and bubbling around the sides. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 mins before serving.
