White Bean Dip

White Bean Dip is a fresh and flavorful appetizer made by blending cannellini beans with garlic, fresh lemon juice, herbs, and pecorino romano cheese.

When I'm having guests over I like to make recipes that allow me to have more time mingling and less time in the kitchen, especially when it comes to the appetizers.  Easy to make appetizers are the best kind, don't you think?  I love when I find a recipe that comes together really easily and still tastes amazing.

This bean dip is made by throwing all of the ingredients into your food processor and giving it a few whirls until it's nice and creamy.  That's it!  It doesn't get much easier than that!

What makes this dip really great though, aside from the easy part, is the ingredients. There's the lemon juice and garlic, which make this dip kind of like a hummus.
Hummus is made with chickpeas, though, not cannellini beans.  The white cannellini beans that are the base of this recipe make a smoother, creamier dip, which I love!

What I really, really love about this dip is the pecorino romano cheese.  If I had to pick, I'd say it is my favorite kind of cheese.  I sneak it into recipes every chance I get (e.g. Roasted Garlic Aioli, Southern Bacon Biscuits, Bacon & Cheddar Chipotle Bread).  I wanted to add a little something extra to this dip and it did the trick!  It's salty and bold and fits in just right with all of the other ingredients.

I like to serve this dip with fresh veggies, with bell peppers being my favorite dipper, but this dip would be just as good served with chips, crackers, or even spread on toasted bread for a creamy crostini topper.  Yum!  Pair it with whatever you have on hand and watch it disappear!

White Bean Dip

   

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper. to taste
• 1-2 Tbsp water, optional

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in your food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Add optional water to reach desired consistency.  Top with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling od cheese, and serve with chips or fresh veggies for dipping.

Notes

• Source: Adapted from Very Culinary