White bean smash with kale, eggs & avocado

Recipe

This recipe creates a fresh and hearty brunch dish featuring lemon-paprika smashed cannellini beans, soft-poached eggs, and charred wholegrain toast. Served with baby kale, avocado, and cherry tomatoes, it’s finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a zesty lemon-paprika topping for a wholesome, flavourful meal.

Ingredients

• 1 large lemon (200g)
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 x 400g cans salt-reduced cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
• 2 green onions (scallions), chopped
• 1 clove garlic, grated finely
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 8 eggs
• 2 slices wholegrain bread (70g), halved, toasted
• 60g (2oz) baby kale leaves
• 1 small avocado (200g), sliced
• 100g (3oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Finely grate rind from lemon, you will need 1 teaspoon rind; then juice lemon. In a small bowl combine rind and half the paprika; reserve for serving.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor pulse beans, green onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and remaining paprika until roughly smashed. Season with pepper.
3. To poach eggs, half-fill a wide saucepan or medium frying pan with water and add the vinegar; bring to the boil. Break one egg into a cup. Using a wooden spoon, make a whirlpool in water; slide egg into whirlpool. Repeat with remaining eggs. Allow water to return to a simmer. Cover pan, remove from heat; stand 2 minutes or until eggs are soft poached. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a plate lined with paper towel.
4. Heat a chargrill pan over high heat, cook bread slices until lightly charred. Divide smashed bean mixture, kale, avocado, tomato, and eggs among serving plates. Drizzle with combined olive oil and remaining lemon juice, and sprinkle with reserved paprika lemon rind mixture; serve with toast.

TIPS

• If baby kale leaves are unavailable use torn kale leaves which have been blanched in boiling water for 10 seconds then refreshed in ice water. Drain well before using.
• If you don’t have a food processor – don't worry. Smashing the beans by hand takes a little more work but is just as tasty.

Article published in October 2025

Recipe reproduced with permission from Australian Women's Weekly Food.