3 bean dips: white bean spread, cowboy hummus and coriander-chile bean dip

I love a good bean dip, and even though I have two very nice recipes, I was tempted to try this white bean spread recipe recently.

White bean spread

Adapted from “Super Natural Every Day” by Heidi Swanson

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 garlic clove, diced

2 cups cooked white beans

¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted, divided

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Hot water

Zest of ½ lemon

Method

Heat oil in small saucepan. Add rosemary and garlic. Cook until fragrant. Set aside and cool 10 minutes. Strain, reserving solids.

Combine two-thirds of the oil, beans and two-thirds of the almonds, salt and lemon juice. Pulse together. Add hot water, a tablespoon at a time, to desired texture. Stir in reserved rosemary and garlic. Serve in a bowl sprinkled with remaining almonds and lemon zest. Drizzle with remaining oil mixture.

Rating: Originally the recipe called for discarding the rosemary and garlic after infusing the oil. It was surprisingly bland, but I'd reserved the rosemary and garlic for another use so I served the leftovers with it stirred in and that helped. But it still doesn't measure up to these next two recipes, which belong in the keeper pile.  

 

Cowboy hummus

I'm no longer sure of the source for this recipe; I suspect it was the Star Tribune Taste section but I can't find it in the online archives.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked red kidney beans

3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, minced

3 tablespoons minced cilantro

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup broth, approximately

Method

Combine beans, 3 tablespoons lime juice, garlic, green onion, cumin and olive oil in a food processor. Add enough broth to make a soft puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more lime juice if needed. Serve with pitas or pita chips.

Coriander-chile pinto bean dip

From Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons water

Method

Combine beans, vinegar, oil, garlic, coriander, paprika, cayenne and water in a food processor until very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika.

Both of these last two recipes are very tasty served with pitas or as veggie dips.