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White Bean Dip with Herbs and Roasted Garlic

(recipe, Carrie Floyd)


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Introduction

I was inspired to make this after reading Kelly Myers' column about using fresh herbs to elevate the ordinary. For the herbs in this dish, I like a blend of mostly parsley and chives, with a wee bit of thyme, sage, and/or rosemary thrown in. Serve this dip with fresh veggies and/or pita chips for a snack, or make it with less liquid to yield a thicker spread for sandwiches.

Ingredients

  1. 2 cups cooked white beans, with some cooking liquid
  2. ΒΌ cup finely chopped fresh herbs
  3. Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  4. 5 roasted garlic cloves (see Note)
  5. 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  6. 1 tsp. salt
  7. Freshly ground black pepper
  8. Carrot sticks, red pepper strips, and/or pita chips for serving

Steps

  1. Place the beans, herbs, lemon zest and juice, roasted garlic cloves, olive oil, and salt in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, adding enough of the cooking liquid from the beans to reach the consistency you like (more for a dip, as little as possible for a sandwich spread).
  2. Season to taste with extra salt and freshly ground pepper. Spoon into a bowl and serve.

Note

If I'm roasting potatoes or chicken, I often roast garlic at the same time, then store it in the fridge for another use. If you don't have any roasted garlic on hand, do this: Place unpeeled garlic cloves in a small, ovenproof dish and cook in a preheated 375-degree oven until soft and pulpy, about 20 to 30 minutes.