This creamy, rich dip with roasted garlic, fresh herbs and sun-dried tomatoes is perfect for snacking and hors d'oeuvres. Try it for game day or your next dinner party -- it gets gobbled up whether you're drinking beer or sipping cocktails.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Keyword bean dip, cannelini, game day, garlic, sun dried tomatoes
Use a sharp knife and trim the top ⅓" - ½" of the head of garlic. Place the garlic in a small piece of tin foil (use the trimmed pieces as well) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Seal up the tin foil and roast for 30 minutes or until garlic is very tender. Remove from oven and let the garlic rest until it's cool enough to handle. Remove the garlic cloves from the peel and set aside.
MAKE THE WHITE BEAN DIP:
Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium high heat until the oil starts to moire and is hot but not smoking. Turn off the heat and immediately add the chopped herbs. The oil will sizzle because of the freshness of the herbs. Swirl the pan so that the herbs are completely coated with the hot oil and set aside.
Drain the cannellini beans in a mesh strainer, but DO NOT RINSE THE BEANS. Discard the bean liquid. Transfer the beans to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the beans resemble a chunky dip.
To the bean mixture, add the oil and herb mixture, kosher salt, and lemon juice. Pulse 4 to 5 times to incorporate the ingredients. Add the garlic and lemon juice and pulse to puree the roasted garlic.
Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and pulse 2-3 times to combine.
Transfer the white bean dip to a serving bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the dip and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve with pita chips or fresh crudite.
Notes
You can serve this dip at room temperature or heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, then garnish with herbs and olive oil. Delicious either way!