Pureed White Beans with Fresh Herbs

I don't know about you, but I always have parsley left over from some recipe. This week I also had cooked navy beans left over from Sun-Dried Tomato Dip. So I pulled out this recipe I previously made and loved from Mark Bittman's Food Matters Cook Book. It's versatile, easy, quick, and really good. I had some for dinner tonight on homemade wheat baguette bread with more Veganomicon sauteed greens and a Chickpea-Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette from Appetite for Reduction.
Pureed White Beans with Fresh Herbs
4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine (I used 1 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used 1 teaspoon)
• 1 leek or a bunch of green onions or one regular onion, chopped
• 1 cup mixed mild herbs, like parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, or chervil (I used parsley only)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, tarragon, or thyme
• 3 cups cooked or canned cannellini, navy, or other white beans, drained, liquid reserved
• About 1 cup bean-cooking liquid, stock, or water
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Put the Earth Balance and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped herbs and cook a minute or 2 more.
2. If you want the mixture super-smooth, transfer it--along with the beans--to a food processor or blender and process, adding as much liquid as you need to make a smooth but not watery puree. (This is what I did.) If you want a lumpier texture, mash the beans in the pan with a fork, adding liquid slowly to get them as soupy as you like.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature.