White Bean Dip

White Bean Dip

January 5, 2012

You can tell that Laura and I had similar holidays by the recipe we came up with for this week – completely independent of each other! As much as my kids are complaining that I’ve done away with chocolates after breakfast – don’t judge, they wanted as breakfast so I was doing some parenting by saying no to that – they were ready for the non-stop party of December to end. On the way home from one of the final holiday visits we made to friends, Esme moaned from the backseat, “Can we please stay home tonight?”

My big food resolution for my family is more vegetables. Of course I make them part of every dinner but since I’m not of the clean your plate school of thought, they often get left on the kids’ plates. They have to try a bite of everything but sometimes that bite is the only vegetable that gets into them. So, I need a new strategy and here it is. I’m going to strike while the iron is hungry. Or whatever. Instead of the usual small of bowl of Cheddar Bunnies I hand over to stop the smalls from circling my legs as I try to make dinner I’m going to put cut vegetables out on the table. If a better snack is there when they’re hungriest I think I’m going to have better luck. And then what happens at dinner won’t be such a big deal.

photo by Maya Visnyei

Julian is a fan of dips. What he really loves is saying “Dip, dip” as he dips and can you blame him? But Esme cannot deal with dips – but I’m hoping this changes this year, too. I like this dip as it’s so, so easy to make and I usually have everything I need to make it in the cupboard. It’s a lot like hummus but doesn’t require tahini, which I don’t always have handy. Legumes are so good for you and full of healthy, lean protein, so you’re getting a lot out o one little snack. Feel free to tweak the spices to suit your crew.

And let us know what your resolutions are and if we can help you out with any. Want more one-pot dinners? Looking for more vegetarian options? Write and tell us what you’d like us to come up with and we’ll always do our best for you, lovely readers!

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White Bean Dip

Ingredients

  • 1 x 424 gram can of white kidney beans (cannellini would be great, too)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced very fine
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

Drain the beans well in a sieve. Dump all ingredients in a food processor and pulse away until you have a creamy but not perfectly smooth texture. Move the contents around with a spoon or spatula half way through to make sure the spices are well blended. Serve with raw veggies and crackers.

 

Tags sidesVegetablesdipsBeansSnacks
Category Snacks & DessertsSummerFallBy IngredientVegetablesBy SeasonLegumesBy Meal TypeSides

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7 Comments

  1. Tami
    Tami
    January 05, 08:43 Reply

    For an extra creamy dip I add a small pkg of silken tofu when I blend up a bean dip. Any canned beans are good : ) I also add a tablespoon of black bean & garlic sauce and a few drops of sesame oil. Enough flavour in the sauce that you don’t need any other spices or extra salt. My friend hates bean dip but loves this dip!

  2. Lindsay
    Lindsay
    January 05, 11:27 Reply

    Hey SPC, great suggestion, I have been looking for ways to eat more veggies too. Have you ever considered having a log-in for people here? I would love to be able to save recipes to my “favourites” or something like that. Just a thought.

  3. Barb Yankoski
    Barb Yankoski
    January 05, 12:51 Reply

    You are definately on the right track to get the kids to eat more veggies by setting the veggies and a dip out first, while they are “starving”! Another tip is to always have the veggies prepped in baggies and get the kids to make the veggie tray themselves while you take a few moments to breathe before tackling the 6:00 sh-t storm that is dinner with working moms and tiny, hungry hoards of kiddies. And with the grandchildren, if they said they didn’t like something, I found if they prepared the veggie tray they tried most things on it. Mine hum what they call the “Dip Dip” song too. Cheers

  4. AKT
    AKT
    January 06, 13:17 Reply

    I make a similar dip with white beans, artichoke hearts, and parmesan cheese, seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon zest & juice, and fresh thyme. It’s usually a big hit and a nice change from dairy-based dips.

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