White Bean Dip

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, this dip is a snack, it's dinner, it's lunch — it can do anything.

If you’ve been to my house for drinks or dinner in the last couple of decades, you have no doubt eaten this concoction several times; it’s one of my favorites. Although I think this dip is best after it sits for an hour or more so the flavors meld, it’s also my go-to when I need to pull together a snack and don’t have much time — it takes less than five minutes to make.

You should definitely feel free to customize this to your own tastes and what’s in your pantry and fridge. Use whatever fresh herbs are lurking around your fridge; I’ve made this with rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and dill. Swap in dried herbs if you don’t have fresh (dried herbes d’Provence is nice here; use a teaspoon of dried herbs to start, then add more if needed). You can also add a teaspoon of smoked paprika, or a couple of spoonfuls of tapenade, chopped pickles or olives, preserved lemon, pesto — you get it; do your thing. I like to top it with a pinch of crushed red chile flakes, unless I’m feeding kids who won’t appreciate that kind of heat. Pull out some crackers or veggies to eat with it, pour yourself a drink and, most importantly, relax.

Makes 2 cups

1 (15.5-oz) can Great Northern or other white beans, drained

2 small cloves garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (I like rosemary, thyme, and oregano, but anything but mint would work)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Combine the beans, garlic, herbs, salt, lemon zest, and juice in the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then process again for 10 seconds so everything is evenly mixed. You can keep the dip a bit chunky if you prefer.

With the machine running, pour in the olive oil. Taste, and add more salt or olive oil as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to three days before eating. I like to garnish this with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and more chopped herbs, and then a final drizzle of olive oil (use the fancy stuff here if you have it!).