White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I don’t know about you, but for me, 3:00 in the afternoon is when I am 100% ready for a snack. I usually try to have something relatively healthy on hand (lest I raid the freezer and start eating frozen brownies), so it’s easiest if the snack is ready to go; no lengthy prep.

B and I both love hummus, and many times that’s what we’ll snack on, but I get antsy for a change every so often. Variety is the spice of life, no? This is where bean dips come in. One of my favorites is this white bean and roasted red pepper dip: it’s super flavorful, easy to throw together, loaded with fiber, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A — and, it’s a beautiful orange hue. The sweet roasted peppers and the smooth, mild white beans are brightened a bit by the slight background tang of a little balsamic vinegar, and of course it has garlic – what isn’t great with a little garlic?? It’s great as a dip, but would also be really tasty as a spread on sandwiches or crostini.

I like to make a batch on the weekend, then divide it into containers for us to take to work during the week. If I’m really on top of my game, I also cut up a bunch of vegetables and toast some whole wheat pita wedges on the weekend so they’re all ready to go with the dip. Granted, that level of planning ahead doesn’t always happen — but when it does, afternoon snacks are a beautiful thing.

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White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Adapted from Vegetarian Classics by Jeanne Lemlin

Ingredients
1 can white beans (Great Northern, cannellini, navy, etc.) — drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers (homemade or from a jar, patted dry)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Variation: omit the cumin and add in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions
Place the drained beans, red peppers, salt, cumin (or basil), paprika, garlic cloves, olive oil, and vinegar in a food processor. Blitz until smooth. Serve as is, or refrigerate until later.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.