Mediterranean White Bean Dip

I like the traditional nutty flavored chickpea hummus and its variations well enough to gobble it up every time it's placed in front of me, but I simply adore the rich, versatile creaminess of Cannellini or Great Northern bean based dips and spreads.  In this Mediterranean version of a white bean dip, I've mixed some of my favorite ingredients such as sundried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, basil (although, rosemary and oregano work very nicely, too), olives and feta cheese.  The end result is a dip into which it is literally impossible to stop sticking your fingers, and tastes great with pita bread or crackers, or chunks of fresh whole grain bread. Try it as a spread for a wrap, stuffed with baby spinach leaves, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, more olives and feta.  Oh my.

Because I didn't want the garlic to take center stage, I slowly simmered it in the olive oil, infusing the oil with the garlic flavor and taming the spicy bite of raw garlic.  You could skip this step, but the garlic will be more pungent (not necessarily a bad thing).  If you have a clove of roasted garlic left over from another dish, go ahead and use that instead for yet another delicious twist.


Mediterranean White Bean Dip

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 c cooked white beans (Cannellini, or Great Northern)
• 2 sundried tomatoes (oil packed)
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 3 tsp fresh chopped herbs, divided (basil, rosemary, or oregano are nice)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 -2 Tbs feta cheese, crumbled
• 5-6 Kalamata olives, chopped
• 1 -2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

Combine garlic and oil in a small saucepan.

I had to cut my clove in half to remove the sprout - you can leave your clove whole if you have a spoutless one

Bring the oil to a slow simmer over medium high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low.  Cook garlic 5-7 minutes, taking care not to "fry".

In the bowl of a food processor, add beans, tomatoes, lemon juice, 2 tsp chopped herb of your choice, salt, pepper, and garlic clove.

Pulse several times until mixture is roughly chopped.  Turn the processor on, and while it is running, slowly pour the garlic oil down the chute.

Continue to process another 30 seconds, or until smooth.

Transfer to bowl.  Top with feta cheese, olives, and remaining 1 tsp chopped herbs.  Drizzle with olive oil.

Serve with pita bread or chips, chunks of crusty bread, or assorted fresh vegetables.  Use as a spread for wraps and sandwiches.



Don't forget that during the whole month of January, the #citruslove blog  hop is going on!  Check out my Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips post for a constantly updating list of fabulous citrus themed recipes and links to all of my fabulous co-host's blogs for more great recipes!