Pureeing some sort of legume and throwing in delicious stuff is my idea of a perfect dip. It’s easy, healthy, super-tasty and I love dreaming up different ways of scooping it up: corn chips, brown rice crackers, cucumber and carrot sticks or rounds, baguette, polenta … you get the point.
But back to the easy. I’m going to go so far as to say bean dip goes beyond easy, into the territory of sheer laziness. I love knowing that I can make a spur-of-the-moment dip from ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator and barely lift a finger. Pushing the button on a food processor? Lazy. Delightfully lazy.
C’mon. Be lazy, lazier than me even. If you have a 15-ounce can of white beans, open it, rinse and drain the beans and follow the directions below to make a dip so simple you’ll feel guilty. But only for a moment.
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Pesto White Bean Dip
Puree beans and add 1-2 tablespoons store-bought pesto (or to taste). Add equal amounts of olive oil and lemon juice until you get the consistency you like. You’ll need a few tablespoons of each to get the consistency I like. Try this dip with breadsticks or polenta rounds.
White Bean Dip with Fresh Herbs
Puree beans with 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon‘s vegetable broth concentrate. Add equal parts lemon juice and olive oil until your favorite consistency is attained. Pulse in a handful or two of your favorite fresh herbs — I like basil, sage, rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, chives, thyme…. I love serving this one with simple crispy rice crackers or flatbread.
Caesar White Bean Dip
Puree beans with 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, 1-2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard and 1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese. Add equal parts lemon juice and olive oil until you reach your desired consistency. This one’s great served with baguette or lettuce cups.
Only slightly more challenging (which means you can’t be comatose and make them, but sleepwalking is fine) are some of my past white bean dip recipes:
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Jun 15, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
