Escalivada con Alubias Blancas — Catalan Charred Vegetables with White Beans

Other Fast With Oil Published June 13, 2026

Escalivada is the Catalan art of charring vegetables whole until their skins blacken and their flesh turns sweet and smoky — eggplant, red peppers, and onion, peeled into silky strips and dressed in nothing but good olive oil and garlic. Folded through a bowl of creamy white beans, it becomes a full plate: smoke, sweetness, and the soft heft of the beans, the kind of thing you mop up with bread and feel genuinely fed by.

On oil days the dressing of olive oil and raw garlic is the whole point. For strict days, roast the vegetables dry, skip the finishing oil, and brighten the beans with extra lemon and a little of the reserved bean liquid for body.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (adaptable for strict days — see notes)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

- 2 medium eggplants
- 3 red bell peppers
- 1 large red onion, halved
- 2 cans (400g each) white beans (cannellini or judión), drained, liquid reserved
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (omit most for strict days)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 220C (425F). Place the eggplants, peppers, and onion halves on a baking tray. Roast for 35-45 minutes, turning once, until the skins are blackened and blistered and the flesh is collapsing.

2. Transfer the eggplants and peppers to a bowl and cover with a plate for 10 minutes; the steam loosens the skins. Peel everything, discard skins, stems, and seeds, and tear the flesh into long strips. Slice the roasted onion.

3. In a serving bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic, vinegar, and lemon juice. (For strict days: replace the oil with 3 tablespoons of the reserved bean liquid plus extra lemon.)

4. Add the white beans and the torn vegetables and their juices. Fold gently to coat without mashing the beans.

5. Season well with salt and pepper, scatter with parsley, and drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top (skip for strict days). Serve warm or at room temperature with bread.

NOTES

- Charring over a gas flame or grill instead of the oven gives a deeper smoke if you have the means.
- Judión or large butter beans make this feel especially luxurious; cannellini are the everyday choice.
- For strict no-oil days, the reserved bean liquid emulsified with lemon and garlic makes a surprisingly creamy dressing.
- This keeps well for two days and the flavor deepens; bring it back to room temperature before serving.