Yummy and Easy Lemon Garlic White Bean Dip

Do you start with a recipe or do you start with ingredients? For a recent party, I offered to bring an appetizer to share. With limited time to prepare a dish, I went to the pantry for inspiration. Fortunately, I had the perfect ingredients to make a yummy and easy lemon garlic white bean dip.

I realize that everyone wants recipes to cook from. As a former cooking instructor with a culinary degree, I used recipes to teach my students. But I also tried to instill in them the idea that you can prepare delicious meals just by focusing on what you have in the refrigerator, the pantry or the garden.

Isn’t that what our grandmothers did?

This delicious lemony and garlic white bean dip is so easy that after you make it a time or two, you won’t even need the recipe – but I am going to give it to you.

There is nothing unique or crazy about this white bean dip, except that it’s full of flavor, easy to prepare, and people love it.

It’s a great light appetizer for spring and summer.

this Idea.

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Quick and Adaptable Party Appetizer

One great thing about this dip is that you can change up the flavors – a little more of this, a little less of that – to meet your flavor preferences. You can double the recipe if you have a bigger crowd.

Thank goodness, it doesn’t take long to whip up this yummy dip. This week I was slated to bring an appetizer to a girls’ get together. Early in the day, I thought I had time after several hours of work to go to the grocery store and get ingredients for something a little more “impressive”.

But a 3:30 appointment with a company giving us an estimate on a new garage ladder and attic lift (another topic for a blog post) lasted an hour and a half. No time to go to the store, shop, and make something fabulous to take.

What to do? Like I said, let ingredients that you have on hand inspire you.

White Bean Dip Ingredients

There are two parts to the “recipe” – the dip ingredients and the items you use to “dip” the dip.

Bean Dip Ingredients

Most of these items I consider staples – things you always have in the pantry or refrigerator.

• cannellini beans – we always have cannellini, garbanzo (for hummus), and black beans in the pantry
• lemon – another staple for making vinaigrettes, flavoring food, and, of course, cocktails.
• garlic cloves – you can’t cook without garlic! We buy a head of garlic every week.
• extra virgin olive oil – we always have EVOO, regular olive oil, and canola. Right now I also have avocado oil.
• good kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ground cumin – we buy our spices by the ounce at our neighborhood Central Market.
• red pepper flakes – optional
• herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, oregano, rosemary, or thyme – for garnish

While we are talking about ingredients, let me get on my culinary soap box.

• Please, pretty please, don’t buy those humongous jars of spices at Costco or Sam’s. Spices have a shelf life to maintain their best flavor and freshness. By the time you buy those giant jars of spices, they are already past their prime. Think of what they are like when you’ve had the jar for a few months. Try to buy the smallest amount you can, preferably by the ounce. Your food will taste better and you won’t have to take up as much space in the pantry or spice drawer.
• Another pretty please, don’t buy garlic in a jar that has been peeled and is soaking in some preservative. It’s so easy to use fresh garlic. The flavor is so superior, it’s healthier, and much cheaper.
• Don’t store your oils anywhere near your stove top or oven. Heat breaks down the oils and they will lose their flavor. Also, it’s best to store oils in the pantry away from sunlight which is as bad as heat. (Same thing for your spices.)

Items for “Dipper”

You have to have something to eat the dip with (It’s like you have to have chips for salsa.), so here are suggestions.

I do like a combination of crostini and vegetables for color and variety. Remember, I didn’t have time to go to the grocery store, so I used what I had in the fridge. Fortunately, Sweet Shark had bought the vegetables and bread the day before and they were fresh.

NOTE: If doesn’t hurt if your baguette is a day or two old. It will be easier to slice and bake.

I like crudíte, such as carrots and red bell pepper best for their color and crunch.

TIP: If you make your crudítes ahead, place them in a jar with a little water to stay fresh. I did this while I as making the white bean dip. If you need to put the veggies in the fridge, cover them with a plastic bag.

Equipment for Make the White Bean Dip

For equipment, you will need a food processor to process the beans. This is true whatever typoe of bean dip you are making. I have a Kitchen Aid (my second one) and I love it. (Just FYI, this one is on Amazon’s Big Spring Deals right now.)

You will also need some standard kitchen tools. These are items we use every day for cooking or baking.

• lemon juicer
• chef’s knife – this Wüsthof is my favorite and it’s on sale!
• “Y” vegetable peeler – once you use a “Y”-shaped peeler you will never go back to the old type of peeler; it’s so much easier on your hand and easier to use.
• cutting board
• half sheet pan
• bread knife – best deal for a good knife
• microplane – for zesting the lemon
• small “pyrex” bowls for holding ingredients
• pastry brush

Making the Garlic Lemon White Bean Dip

You can make the white bean first and then the dippers or visa versa. It really doesn’t matter.

Step 1 – Prepare your ingredients (remember, that’s called mise en place.)

• Peel and chop the garlic cloves.
• Zest the lemon with the microplane and place in a small pyrex dish.
• Juice the lemon and place the juice in a small pyrex dish.

Step 2 – Open the can of white beans. Remove about 3 tablespoons of the bean juice to a small pyrex dish. Set aside. Pour the beans into a small colander. Run under cold running water to drain and remove the bean juice.

Step 3 – Prepare the food processor with the chopping blade. Turn on (pulse) the machine and put the garlic cloves down the food tube.

NOTE: This ensures that the garlic gets well chopped.

NOTE: I used 3 garlic cloves. You can use less or more. I wouldn’t start with more than three and add more if desired.

Step 4 – Place the white beans in the bowl of the food processor. Add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, ground black pepper, and ground cumin. Turn the food processor on and blend until beans are smooth and creamy.

Step 5 – Add the reserved bean juice. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, cumin and lemon juice until the flavor is right for you. Pulse to blend.

NOTE: If the dip is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin it out. I almost have to do this. Pulse again to blend.

Once the flavor and the consistency are to your liking, remove the dip from the processor with a rubber spatula and place in your bowl.

NOTE: If you are making the bean dip first, you can either put it in a covered container and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve or place it in your serving bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Because I was taking the dip to a friend’s house I placed it in a covered container.

Preparing Your Dippers

• To prepare your crostini, use a bread knife to slice the baguette into slices about 1/4-inch wide.
• Place the bread slices on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. (I used used about 1/2 the baguette to get 28 slices.

NOTE: At this point I realized I had to pack up all my ingredients, the bowl for my dip, serving platter, the crudítes, squeeze bottle of EVOO, pastry brush, sheet pan, lemon zest, and herbs to take to my friend’s house. (And put on my make-up and clothes! It felt like the old days when I was teaching off-site cooking classes!)

When I arrived , I had to say hello to every one and then complete my appetizer.

• Add EVOO to the crostini and use a pastry brush to spread it on the slices.

• Bake in a 350˚F oven until the bread starts to brown. Turn over and add a little more EVOO and bake another five minutes.
• While the crostini is baking, place the white bean dip in the serving bowl on the platter and add crudítes.
• Chop your herbs of choice -optional.
• Add a squeeze of EVOO, your chopped herbs and lemon zest to the dip.
• Add the crostini to the platter and serve.

Do you notice something missing? I forgot my herbs at home. No one knew, but me. I do like the extra flavor and color that the herbs bring.

White Bean Dip Q & A

How long does the dip take to make?

This white bean dip and the dippers total can be made in 30 – 45 minutes total, depending on how fast your slice and chop.

How can I customize the dip?

You can use red chili flakes, cayenne, paprika instead of or in addition to the cumin. You can adjust the amount of garlic and lemon juice. Let your taste buds be your guide. You can also substitute the white bean dip for black beans. For that option, I would substitute cilantro for the other herbs.

What other dippers can I use? My choices are:

• pita bread
• sturdy crackers
• cauliflower

How long will the dip last in the refrigerator?

About 3 – 4 days in an air-tight container

Now here is the recipe you can PIN and print off for your files.

I have to share a few more of my favorite spring recipes you will love to serve to friends and family: 15 Super Delicious Spring Recipes, Healthy and Easy Pasta Primavera, and Easy Cucumber Tomatillo Gazpacho.

I hope you’ll print and save this delicious appetizer. Check out these Pinterest Boards: Appetizer Recipes, Summer Recipes, and Recipes.