Lemon Basil White Bean Dip Food

LEMON AND HERB WHITE BEAN DIP

Steps:

• To a food processor (or high-speed blender) add drained, rinsed white beans along with tahini, lemon zest and lemon juice (starting with lesser amounts of both), salt, garlic, and olive oil (reserve herbs for later).
• Blend until creamy, scraping down sides as needed - about 1 minute. If you prefer more texture, blend for less time. If you prefer silky smooth dip, blend for longer.
• Add chopped dill (or other herbs) and pulse again to combine.
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more garlic for zing, lemon zest or juice for brightness or acidity, salt to taste, olive oil for creaminess / floral notes, dill for more herbal notes, or tahini for nuttiness. We like pretty bold flavors, so we added the additional lemon zest and juice and a pinch more salt.
• Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate to chill, which allows the dip to thicken. Option to garnish with additional drizzle of olive oil, lemon zest, and fresh dill for serving. Serve with pita bread or chips, flatbread, crackers, or vegetables of choice.
• Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Not freezer friendly.

WHITE BEAN DIP WITH PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.
• Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.
• Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

BASIL AND LEMON WHITE BEAN DIP

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, process pine nuts until nut butter is formed. (Stop processor and scrape sides 2-3 times as needed.) As pine nuts are soft, this should take less than 1 minute.
• Transfer pine nut butter to a small bowl and set aside. Wipe out food processor. (Blending beans separately from fat helps ensure fluffy hummus.)
• Combine beans and lemon juice in food processor until smooth, at least 3 minutes.
• Add pine nut butter and garlic to food processor and blend again until velvety smooth, another 3 minutes.
• Add basil, chives, and lemon zest. Pulse and scrape sides until mixed, leaving visible herbs.
• Garnish with extra basil, chives, or toasted pine nuts.

BASIL WHITE BEAN DIP

Steps:

• Place the first five ingredients in a food processor; pulse until beans are coarsely chopped. Add oil; process until blended. Add tomato and basil; pulse to combine. Serve with pita chips.

LEMON BASIL WHITE BEAN DIP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the beans, chicken stock and garlic.
• Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan.
• Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. In a food processor, blend the cooled mixture until smooth.
• Chop the basil finely and stir into the mixture along with the lemon juice and the pepper.
• Serve in a bowl, garnished with basil leaves.
• If you prefer a chunkier version, simply don't puree the beans as long, or puree half the beans and mix in the remaining whole beans by hand.

DIP BAR

Steps:

• For the green goddess white bean dip: In a food processor, puree the white beans, olive oil, basil, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, anchovy paste and salt together until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the Gorgonzola-cucumber dip: In a medium bowl, fold together the sour cream, Gorgonzola, cucumbers, dill, lemon zest and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• To serve, place white bean dip, Gorgonzola-cucumber dip and the guacamole in separate bowls. Surround the dips with vegetable crudites, pita chips, tortilla chips and pretzels.

WHITE BEAN PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet (preferably straight-sided) over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir, then cook undisturbed in an even layer until one side is golden, about 4 minutes. (It's great if the butter browns, but decrease the heat if it threatens to get too dark.) Stir in the asparagus, carrot and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the peas, scallions and ½ teaspoon salt, then add the red-pepper flakes, oregano and a generous amount of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the peas are warmed through and bright green, about 2 minutes.
• Add the white beans and the cream, lower the heat to medium, and let the cream come to a simmer. Simmer for about 1 minute.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, Parmesan and Dijon. Taste and season with more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of warm water to the creamy beans to loosen as you like; the sauce will thicken as it cools. (You may need more water when you reheat any leftovers.) Serve in bowls topped with the nuts and a handful of basil leaves. Pass more Parmesan at the table.

QUICK WHITE BEAN DIP

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the beans, oil and garlic; cover and process until smooth. Add the basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; cover and process until blended. Serve with pita chips. Refrigerate leftovers.