Tartine of fresh broad beans with watercress and radish

I created this tartine at a spring market where the stalls were overflowing with fresh broad beans and bunches of watercress. The idea came to me when I saw how well the colors complemented each other: the tender green of the broad beans, the deep green of the watercress, and the bright pink of the radishes.

This recipe transforms simple vegetables into a refined side dish. Broad beans bring a melting texture and a mild flavor, watercress reveals its peppery notes, while radishes add that characteristic springtime crunch.

You can adapt this open-faced sandwich to your liking: replace the bread with buckwheat pancakes, add some baby spinach leaves, or try it with peas. The key is to maintain that freshness that makes the season so charming.

This dish pairs perfectly with a herb omelet or grilled fish. It can also be served as a light starter for lunch on the patio.

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Tartine of fresh broad beans with watercress and radish

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

0.0 out of 0 votes

Type of dish: accompaniementKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: average

Portions

4

portions

Preparation time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Spring-inspired open-faced sandwiches that combine the sweetness of fresh broad beans with the peppery bite of watercress and the crunch of radishes. A fresh and colorful side dish that awakens the taste buds.

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Ingredients

• 300g beans of fresh shelled broad

• 1 bunch of watercress

• 8 pink radishes

• 4 slices of country bread

• 100g thick white cheese

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 tablespoon of chopped chives

• The juice of half a lemon

• Fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper

Preparation steps

• Plunge the beans into a saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain them immediately.
• Remove the skins from the beans one by one by gently pinching them. Set aside the bright green beans.
• Wash the watercress, spin it dry and remove the thickest stems. Cut the radishes into thin slices.
• Mix the cottage cheese with the chives, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Lightly toast the bread slices. Spread them generously with herbed cream cheese.
• Distribute the beans on each slice of bread, then add the watercress and radish slices.
• Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve immediately.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 200g)

📝 Notes

Save the water used to cook broad beans to water your plants; it's rich in nutrients. The broad bean pods can be used to make a flavorful vegetable broth.

💡 Chef's Tips

Choose tender broad beans to avoid them becoming mealy. If they are a little large, blanch them for an extra 30 seconds. For a richer flavor, you can substitute ricotta for the fromage blanc.

🔄 Variations

• Mediterranean version: add some chopped black olives and fresh basil
• Rustic version: replace the cottage cheese with crumbled fresh goat cheese

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.