White Bean and Walnut Dip

Like salsa became a staple in everyone's fridge a decade or so ago, another foreign favorite, hummus, is everywhere from fancy restaurants to kids' lunch boxes. And while they're sort of polar opposites, both imports are very good for you.

Actually this isn't a classic hummus recipe—more of a riff on our favorite Middle Eastern bean dip—we're going to start with cannellini beans instead of garbanzos and go Mediterranean...

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together a can of canneleini beans (make sure you rinse them well so they don't taste like the can they came from) add some walnuts that get a flavor turbo charge from a quick toasting, and a few sprigs of aromatic rosemary. A bit of lemon and onion and you are good to pulse away until smooth. Try that with some toasted bread or crunchy, sliced vegetables.

Yield: 15 servings
Total time: 15 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 medium baguette, cut into ¼-inch thick, slices
2 cans Great Northern or Canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup whole walnuts, lightly toasted
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 medium red onion
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Garnish: 1 sprig rosemary, extra walnut pieces

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange baguette slices on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine beans, walnuts, olive oil, onion, lemon juice, and rosemary—puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the dip into a serving bowl and arrange the toasted baguette slices on a platter around it.

Garnish with the rosemary sprig and extra walnut pieces.

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Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine's food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.

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