How to make sweet potato and butter bean harissa puree with coriander and cashew pesto

A tin of beans is a store-cupboard saviour.

Toss with some pasta, garlic and a healthy glug of olive oil and you’ve got dinner. Puree with roasted veg and you’ve got the makings of a mezze platter.

Sweet potatoes or one of the hard squashes is a good match for beans. Peel, dice and roast until nicely browned.

Dress the puree up with a drizzle of pesto – store bought, if you want – for some colour.

Go for the traditional basil, pine nut and parmesan combination, or for something different, pair coriander and cashews and skip the cheese to keep it vegan.

Serve with pitta bread for dipping or serve as a side dish. Either way, it’s a glamourous end for a humble tin of beans.

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1 sweet potato, about 350-400g
2 tbsp olive oil
1 x 400g tin butter beans
1 tsp harissa 
1 clove garlic, chopped
Sea salt
200-225ml water

Coriander and cashew pesto

30g coriander, leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
30g cashews, toasted and chopped
100ml olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon 
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 220C. Peel the sweet potato and slice into wedges. Place in a roasting tin and drizzle with the olive oil. Season generously with sea salt and place in the preheated oven.

Roast for about 20 minutes, turning over halfway through, until nicely browned on both sides.

Drain the beans and add them, the harissa and half the chopped garlic to the roasting pan. Stir, then return to the oven and roast for another 4-5 minutes.

Blitz in a blender or with a stick blender, adding water – around 200ml – until you have a puree with the consistency of hummus.

To make the pesto, blitz the coriander, nuts, remaining half of the garlic clove and lemon zest in a small blender or food processor. Slowly add the olive oil until it’s thick but pourable. Taste and season with sea salt.

Place the puree in a bowl and generously spoon the coriander and cashew pesto over the top.

@juliapleonard