Leek and Bean Crumble
An easy leek and bean crumble recipe with cannellini beans and fried leeks in a flavoursome mustard, cider and thyme sauce, topped with a golden cheesy crumble. It’s hearty autumnal fare that’s surprisingly quick to prepare. The whole thing is ready for the table in just 45 minutes – perfect for busy weeknights.
Dive Right In
- Why This Leek and Bean Crumble Recipe Works
- Leeks and Beans with a Cheesy Crumble Topping
- Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
- How To Make Leek and Bean Crumble
- Top Tips for a Delicious Leek and Bean Crumble
- Other Leek Recipes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- Pin It
- The Recipe
Why This Leek and Bean Crumble Works
- Full of flavour – Sweet, tender leeks, earthy cannellini beans, tangy wholegrain mustard and dry cider make a surprisingly flavoursome filling, with fresh thyme bringing everything together.
- Hearty and satisfying – The beans and crumble make this dish both comforting and filling, but the cider-based sauce keeps things relatively light.
- A lovely contrast of textures – Soft beans and melting leeks are topped with a crisp, crumbly topping and golden strands of Cheddar cheese.
- Quick enough for a weeknight – There’s no lengthy preparation involved, and you can have this comforting autumnal supper on the table in around 45 minutes.
- Easy to adapt – It’s a forgiving recipe, so you can swap the beans, vary the herbs or use whatever hard cheese you have for the topping. You can even swap the cheese for nuts.
Leeks and Beans with a Cheesy Crumble Topping
This leek and bean crumble is just the sort of dish you want when the days shorten and get colder. It’s comfort food par excellence and it doesn’t take long to prepare, which makes it perfect for midweek suppers or when time is short.
The beans give substance, the leeks a lovely sweetness and the cheesy crumble makes a rich and crunchy contrast.
Any leftovers are even more delicious the next day. That’s mostly because the flavours have had time to develop and reheating in the oven creates even more gorgeous crispy bits.
Ingredients, Additions and Substitutions
For such a delicious dish, there’s surprisingly few ingredients required. I haven’t mentioned butter below, but it’s used in the both the filling and topping. If you’d rather not use it go for a vegan alternative, coconut oil or olive oil instead.
Beans
Beans make a substantial filling, but not a heavy one. White beans are best for creaminess and colour and work particularly well with leeks.
Haricot beans are my favourite for this recipe as they are softer and I like the way they tend to break down. If you prefer something firmer that will hold their shape, go for cannellini beans. I find butter beans rather too large. But this isn’t a fussy dish, so go with what you have.
Cheese
I use mature cheddar cheese for the crumble because it has good flavour and is relatively cheap. It does tend to remain in distinct strands though, rather than melting into the crumble. So use your favourite melty cheese instead if you’d rather.
If you’re trying to avoid dairy, hazelnuts make a lovely substitute. Just roughly grind or finely chop them and mix into the crumble as you would the cheese.
Leeks
Leeks are the star of the show in this dish, so be generous. They bring sweetness, softness and delicate flavour. If you can’t find large leeks, just double up with smaller ones.
Flour
Wholemeal flour will ramp up the fibre and nutritional elements of the dish. It also gives lovely nutty notes. I use wholemeal spelt flour for preference as it’s easier on the digestive system.
For a gluten-free crumble, use buckwheat flour or a general purpose gluten-free flour.
Oats
Oats make a lovely textural addition to crumbles. The oats you use will depend on how much texture you’re after. I use porridge oats, but jumbo oats will give more bite.
Flavourings
Cider gives acidity and a subtle fruity note. Try for dry cider if you can as the leeks are already quite sweet. But unless you’re going shopping specifically for this recipe, go with what you have.
Wholegrain mustard adds texture, savoury depth and little pops of flavour to the sauce. It’s not as strong as dijon or English mustard, so if you use them instead, go with half the amount stated in the recipe.
Fresh thyme delivers a woody, slightly minty, peppery flavour that ties all the other sauce ingredients together.
A light vegetable stock is all that’s needed for the sauce. There’s already plenty of flavour going on with the cider, mustard and thyme. If you’re using ready salted jarred beans, just use the liquid from that. It’s what I used.
Season the filling with a good grinding of black pepper at the end. The mustard and Cheddar already bring plenty of savoury flavour, so you need surprisingly little else.
Parsley makes a great addition to the crumble topping. It brings flavour, nutrition and flecks of green colour. I forgot to use it in the version you can see here, so I’m suggesting it as an optional ingredient.
How To Make Leek and Bean Crumble
Make the crumble topping whilst the beans and leeks are simmering. That way it’s ready to go as soon as the filling is.
Step 1. Sweat Leeks
Top and tail the leeks, then wash them thoroughly. They often have bits of grit and mud attached to the inner leaves. Slice them into ½ cm (0.2 inch) rings.
Heat the oil in a wide pan. Add the butter, followed by the leeks and salt. Fry the leeks over a gentle heat until they’re soft and sweet, but not coloured. Stir occasionally to ensure they cook evenly and don’t burn.
Step 2. Make Filling
Remove the thyme leaves from their stalks, add to the pan and stir.
Pour in the cider and allow it to bubble for a couple of minutes or so. You want the liquid to reduce to about half its original volume.
Drain and rinse the beans, unless using jarred ones.
Add the mustard, beans and stock to the pan. Cover the pan and simmer gently for a few minutes or until you have a thickish sauce.
Season with a good grinding of black pepper. Taste test and add more salt if needed. You’ll probably need to do this if you used unsalted beans, but not if you used salted ones.
Step 3. Make Crumble
Whilst the leeks are cooking, make the crumble topping.
First of all grate the cheese, so it’s ready when you need it. If using hazelnuts instead of cheese, coarsely grind them in a coffee mill or food processor or chop them finely with a knife. Cut the cold butter into cubes.
In a wide mixing bowl, rub the butter cubes into the flour, oats and salt until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Or use the pulse setting on a food processor to do this for you.
Add the grated cheese or hazelnuts and finely chopped parsley, if using. Give a good stir.
Step 5. Assemble and Bake
Pour the bean mixture into a large shallow oven-proof dish. Then spoon the crumble over the top. Press it down lightly with the back of a spoon. This helps to hold the crumble together and makes it easier to serve later.
Place in the centre of the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling up around the edges and the topping is crisp and golden.
Serve straight from the oven to the table and accompany with steamed broccoli or your greens of choice.
Top Tips for a Delicious Leek and Bean Crumble
Take your time with the leeks. Cook them gently until soft and sweet rather than rushing them. This gives the filling much more flavour and a better texture.
Let the cider reduce. Once added, allow it to bubble for a minute or two before adding the beans and stock. This concentrates the flavour and stops the filling from being too liquid. Conversely though, make sure the filling is just a little saucier than you think it needs to be before adding the crumble; the beans and topping will absorb some of the liquid in the oven.
Use a wide shallow baking dish. A larger surface area means more of the crumble is exposed to the heat, so it turns lovely and crisp. A smaller, deeper dish will leave you with a thicker topping that doesn’t crisp up as well.
No need to preheat the oven. So if you forget it’s not a problem. Just bake for an additional 5 minutes. Unless you already have the oven on for other purposes, it’s a cheaper way to bake anyway.
Let it rest for a few minutes. Straight out of the oven the filling will be very hot and bubbly. A short rest lets the sauce settle and makes it easier to serve.
For a creamier filling, add 100 ml double cream and 50ml less stock.
For a vegan crumble, swap the butter for a vegan alternative and the cheese for hazelnuts. You can either roughly grind the hazelnuts or chop them finely, depending on what sort of texture you prefer.
Other Leek Recipes You Might Like
- Cheese & leek bread pudding
- Leek gratin with white sauce: three ways
- Leek & mushroom savoury pancakes
- Stir-fried Brussels sprouts with leeks
- Tempeh curry with leeks
- Welsh rarebit with leeks
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this leek and bean crumble, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or tips for making savoury crumbles?
Please rate the recipe too. And do tag me @choclette8 on Instagram with your images, I really enjoy seeing your take on my recipes.
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Choclette x
Leek and Bean Crumble. PIN IT.
Leek and Bean Crumble
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 2 leeks trimmed and sliced
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 150 ml cider dry works better than sweet
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard or ½ tbsp dijon or English mustard
- 480 g cooked cannellini beans (2 x 400g tin) or white beans of your choice
- 200 ml light vegetable stock (I used bean stock from jar)
- good grinding of black pepper
Crumble
- 175 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat) (I used wholemeal spelt)
- 25 g rolled oats (porridge oats)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 85 g unsalted butter fridge cold – diced
- 125 g mature cheddar cheese grated
- 2 tbsp parsley (optional) finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the butter, followed by the leeks and salt. Fry the leeks over a gentle heat for around 8 minutes until soft and sweet, but not coloured. Stir occasionally to ensure they're evenly cooked and don't burn.1 tbsp olive oil, 15 g unsalted butter, 2 leeks, 1 pinch sea salt
- Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks, add to the pan and stir. Fry the leeks for a further minute.4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Add the cider and allow to bubble for a minute or two. You want the liquid to reduce and concentrate its flavour.150 ml cider
- Drain and rinse the beans, unless using jarred ones.480 g cooked cannellini beans
- Add the mustard, beans and stock. Cover and cook gently for 4-5 minutes or until you have a thickish sauce.1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, 200 ml light vegetable stock
- Season with more salt, if needed, and a good grinding of black pepper.good grinding of black pepper
- Whilst the leeks are cooking, make the crumble topping.
- In a wide mixing bowl, rub the cubes of butter into the flour, oats and salt with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Or use the pulse setting on a food processor to do this for you.175 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat), 25 g rolled oats (porridge oats), 1 pinch fine sea salt, 85 g unsalted butter
- Add the cheese along with the parsley, if using. Give a good stir.125 g mature cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp parsley
- Set the oven to 190℃ (170℃ fan, 375℉, Gas 5).
- Pour the beans into a large shallow oven-proof dish, measuring roughly 30cm x 20cm (12 x 8 inch) or 25cm (10 inch) for a round one. Then spoon the crumble over the top. Press it down lightly with the back of a spoon into an even layer.
- Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling up around the edges and the topping is crisp and golden.
- Serve straight from the oven to the table and accompany with steamed broccoli or your greens of choice and any remaining cider.