This rosemary-garlic cannellini bean dip is like supercharged hummus. It’s so easy to make, and it’s best served warm with crackers or vegetables!
I’ve been eating hummus since long before I ever knew what cannellini beans were…probably before I really knew what chickpeas were. In fact, the first hummus that I ever ate I made myself. Philip and I were newly married and I read a hummus recipe in a weight loss book that I bought. I went to Target after work one day and bought the cheapest food processor I could get my hands on. It had a 2-cup prep bowl and it cost $13. It was barely big enough to make a single batch of hummus and every time I used it some piece of plastic would break off of it. As cheap as it was, I don’t regret buying that piece of junk, because I never bought another cheap kitchen appliance.
Wait, sorry…I forgot that I was talking about hummus, not food processors (I promise that I’ll get to cannellini bean dip soon). Anyway, I used to make hummus at least once a week. When California Pizza Kitchen was open for a pretty brief period of time at Hamilton Place, we would frequently order their “Tuscan hummus“, which was made with “Tuscan white beans”. It had different flavors than the hummus that I made at home (which turned out to be cumin) and it was really smooth. And I could not figure out what on earth Tuscan white beans were. Turns out those were cannellini beans, which are essentially white kidney beans. And suddenly, because of this cannellini bean dip, my feelings on white beans changed. I had never cared for white beans because I associated them with the Great northern beans that my mom cooked Southern style, which always seemed way too mushy and soupy to me.
Turns out that for a long time cannellini beans were really hard to find around here, but these days I can find them no problem at Publix or Harvest Grocery. They’re firm but super-creamy inside, and I love cooking with them. Briefly sautéed with garlic and fresh rosemary then pureed, they are perfect in this simple cannellini bean dip.
Rosemary-garlic cannellini bean dip has a different flavor profile than hummus, but it has the same creamy texture. You can definitely eat this cold or at room temperature, but cannellini bean dip is best served warm (interestingly enough, I found out a while back that hummus is traditionally served at least at room temperature, if not warm…and it’s so much better that way). It’s so easy to make, healthy, and only has a handful of ingredients.
Not to mention – this rosemary-garlic cannellini bean dip is delicious, so MAKE IT!
Mary
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups dip
5 minPrep Time:
5 minCook Time:
10 minTotal Time:
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed with a garlic press
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely minced (about 1 large sprig)
- 14.5 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to one minute.
- Add the beans to the skillet and heat for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add the lemon juice. Process until smooth. Salt to taste and process to combine. Serve immediately.
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