This spread has a long shelf life - it can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks - and can be pulled out for impromptu entertaining.
Copyright 2004 USA WEEKEND and columnist Pam Anderson. All rights reserved.
This spread is deliciously flavorful and inexpensive to make. It's especially good for those without a food processor. Try it on some crusty bread with a slice of havarti or swiss for lunch. (hint: white beans are called "Great Northern Beans" in the south... it took about 15 minutes in the bean aisle to figure that out!).
Read MoreDefinitely needs more oomph - I'd double spices, add some heat, like crushed red pepper. I like the concept, so I'm going to experiment with it.
Read More This spread is deliciously flavorful and inexpensive to make. It's especially good for those without a food processor. Try it on some crusty bread with a slice of havarti or swiss for lunch. (hint: white beans are called "Great Northern Beans" in the south... it took about 15 minutes in the bean aisle to figure that out!).
I liked this spread and used it on various wraps. I did need to add some salt and extra garlic because I found it a little bland as written.
Really good. I added fresh chopped parsley which gave it a really fresh and clean flavor.
Very good and easy to make. I made this for a party and it was tough not to eat too much of it. Served with melba toast.
I sauteed onion with the garlic, then added kosher salt and white wine. Then I blended it instead of using a potato masher. It turned out awesome!!!
This is a good recipe, but next time I'll change some things. It did not come out thick like a spread, so I will reduce the liquid. Also, I will blend the beans in the food processor rather than do all that mashing. I thought that was a lot of needless work. Also, the garlic needs to be minced before putting it in the pan. It does not soften quickly enough to mash. The recipe needed a little salt, and I added a little extra garlic powder. Then it tasted good. This is a nice recipe to have on hand. Thanks.
This recipe is really good and super easy. Things I did... I sauteed the garlic in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I added the drained beans and sauteed them a little bit. I added a 1/4 cup of white wine. Warm through and then added to the food processor and pulsed. I also added about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese in the processor. Used this on crusty Italian bread. I topped some with hot peppers to add a little heat and those were the best ones!!! Very easy recipe to make and different from the usual appetizers you put out. Thanks
Easy to make and delicious. Went well on assorted cracks. I would imagine that it would also work well with corn chips.
What a great idea -- a dip made by mashing the beans while they're simmering. Anything to avoid dragging out/cleaning up the food processor! I used fresh rosemary from my garden and added 1/8 cube of Knorr's vegetable stock to enhance the flavor. Very easy to make, economical, and also nice to have a dairy-free dip to balance out whatever else you are serving that has cheese in it.
This spread is so easy to put together...but the finished dip was so delicious that I was surprised! I had been planning to make hummus, but accidentally opened a can of white beans instead of a can of garbanzo beans (duh) so I had to come up with a different recipe for a bean dip to use them up. This one fit the bill! I had already drained the beans before I realized that I wasn't supposed to (another duh!) so I just added some water instead. Because I had drained the salt away with the liquid, I had to add a little more salt to the finished dip. I think the only way to improve the recipe would be to mince the garlic before it goes into the pan...mine took a while to cook down to be soft enough to mash. The flavors of rosemary and garlic really taste great together in this dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
Definitely needs more oomph - I'd double spices, add some heat, like crushed red pepper. I like the concept, so I'm going to experiment with it.
Very easy to make, wow! I gave it an average score though because I have had better white bean dip. However, you can't beat the ease of this recipe. I served with toasted pita chips.
Seriously inexpensive and EASY! Also supper addictive. I used basil instead of rosemary, which of course altered the flavor.... but YUM.
This was excellent! I used it to stuff baked zucchini (topped with fresh parmesan) for a more robust vegetarian baked zuke, which was delicious, and then my boyfriend ate the leftover spread straight from the container... I think it's his favorite of all the dishes I've ever made. I used 3 medium to large minced garlic cloves and about 3 teaspoons of rosemary.
This is an easy, yummy dish to prepare; and your guests will ask for the recipe over and over. 4 Simple flavorful ingredients make a fabulous & healthy dip. I have made this 5 times already, and everyone wants the recipe! PLUS, it freezes! make extra, because you can't beat that convenience!
This is an easy, yummy dish to prepare; and your guests will ask for the recipe over and over. 4 Simple flavorful ingredients make a fabulous & healthy dip. I have made this 5 times already, and everyone wants the recipe! PLUS, it freezes! make extra, because you can't beat that convenience!
Yummy and quick and - best yet - made entirely from things that are around in the kitchen anyway. I used 1/2 tsp of dried rosemary instead of fresh, sauteed it for a few minutes with three crushed cloves of garlic (by "crushed," I mean "smacked with the flat side of a chef's knife to get the paper off and then thrown in a pan," not "put through a garlic press") and then added the beans. I thought it needed a little acid to brighten it up; if I'd had lemon juice I would have used that, but since I didn't, I used some cayenne pepper sauce (like Frank's Red Hot) instead. It didn't need any salt but I added quite a bit of freshly ground black pepper. On whole wheat toast with a little grated parmesan, an easy and protein-riffic lunch! Thanks!
Eliminated the rosemary and added roasted red pepper, it came out really nicely. Great with toasted pita chips!
This spread is super simple and fast! I've always added some extra roasted garlic, and a little salt, to add more flavor, and then serve the spread on toasted baguette or pita chips.
So easy, and SOOO good. The only thing I added was a little salt, and I happened to have garlic olive oil on hand for the quick saute.
I didn't add the juice from the beans (gross!) Instead I rinsed them as usual and subbed some white wine and water. Used as a spread on grilled vegetable and chicken wraps. Yummy, healthy -a new favourite for sure. Thanks for the recipe!
I had high hopes for this, but I found it to be a bit bland. I probably would not make it again.
Added another can of beans, drained, and tripled spices in hopes of ressurrecting it. I think it would be fine if you drain the beans initially....
I added the garlic and rosemary to simmering beans (19oz cannelini was all I had), put the lid on and forgot about it for about 10 minutes. When I came back and removed the lid the smell was incredible! No need for the EVOO or salt/pepper. Fast, easy and filling.
Fantastic! I wanted to make hummus when I realized that I didn't have any garbanzo beans. I made this instead and it was a hit! Per other suggestions, I added onion, a bit of white wine & some garlic salt (omitted rosemary per my own preference). YUMMY!
This is wonderful. I made it ahead of time for a party and it was hard not to eat it all before the guests arrived!
As other members mentioned, with all the liquid from the can, it will not be very thick like a spread. I used half of the liquid, which was slightly tomato flavored and salted already. I think this is a versatile recipe as well, as I'm sure other herbs could be substituted for a tasty variation.
I love this dish because what doesn't get eaten as an appetizer can then be used as a sandwich spread.
Very good recipe! I took some other reviewers' advice and drained the beans first, then added a touch of white wine. I also added parmesan cheese at the end. Mashing the beans in the pan was not hard to do at all with a potato masher. I served on fresh-baked french bread. I think it could use a little more flavor, but is an excellent dip or lunch and made the house smell wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Sorry, we didn't like this. The rosemary was overpowering and it was pretty tasteless. I kept adding more ingredients like salt, parm, marinated artichokes, and hot pepper trying to get it right, but I think it was strong rosemary taste that ruined it from the beginning.
Very good - it was a hit. The only thing I'd change is maybe reducing the rosemary a little bit. That ended up being a very powerful taste. Otherwise, great!
Great base for an excellent dip. I overcooked a pound of Navy beans so I decided to make a dip out of it. I added lemon juice, ground toasted cumin seeds, red pepper flakes and Italian parsley. The combination of cumin and rosemary is fantastic!!! Couldn't stop eating it right out of the food processor. BTW, use a food processor, much easier and it makes it nice and creamy.
Very good. I pressure cooked dry nothern beans for about 45 min (1/2 lb) and sauted minced garlic with ts of dry rosemary, threw in the beans with about 1/8 c of the broth, mashed it and stirred in some white wine, about 2 TB. I tasted it before adding the wine and thought the wine would be a nice touch. I used Chablis. I will be making again.
I enjoyed this tremendously as is - a very healthful dinner it made for hubby and I, accompanied by green onion grilled bread. However, I think next time I would halve the oil, as it would cut quite a few calories and would still be pretty good. I did add some fresh thyme and chives in addition to the rosemary, but found that it did not need any additional salt (using the lilquid in the can of beans was plenty of salt for me). I will be using this recipe again in the future.
I've made this a few times because it's so easy. The flavor is a little too bland for me but others like it.
I thought that it was too garlicy, salty and powerful. The texture was ok once I added some chickpeas, but otherwise it was too soupy...
Great dip, went over well with friends. I did change a few things...used thyme instead of rosemary; added a teaspoon of crushed red pepper to the olive oil and added chopped cooked bacon. Also I wanted a more smooth consistancy, so I put spread through the food processor.
So much better than I thought, it was a big hit at the party. I prepared it early in the day and kept it in the fridge but warmed it a bit to room temp before serving. Such great flavors and so very easy (my 8 year old basically made it!). Fresh rosemary and garlic are the key.
Very easy but on it's own quite bland. Is a good base for experimentation, though.
Tasty and easy. I used dried rosemary and it worked just fine. It's good on pitas and whole wheat tortillas.
I substituted the rosemary with savoury and tarragon. I used minced garlic and added 1tsp garlic powder and 1tsp garlic salt. I also added lemon juice and white wine. I finished with a dash of chili powder and paprika. It came out a little too salty for my liking, but otherwise good.
This is actually white bean hummus. We did NOT like it the way the recipe was written. We tried our best to "doctor" it up but even with more garlic, more salt, more pepper, addition of parsley, chicken bouillon, roasted red bell peppers... tasting and adding every step of the way we were unable to make this work. I keep thinking that maybe it would have tasted better if it sat a day or two for the flavors to marry.
I liked this, I added salt and pepper & I thought this was a nice change from the spicy bean dips I normally see. My husband thought it needed hot sauce, but he'd put hot sauce on ice cream if you let him! I did put everything in my food processor rather than mashing it though and the consistancy that way was wonderful. I served this w/ rosemary bread and sliced bell peppers & ill make this again soon I'm sure!
Ok, so all the people who say they hate when people review a recipe that they altered slightly, then you need to get a life. Who would eat or serve something they never made before that didn't taste good.
This was ok - needed more flavor, and maybe some lemon zest or juice to brighten it up. I did drain the beans, but then added water and extra olive oil. I added lots of freshly cracked black pepper, as I love rosemary and pepper together. It's definitely a thick "spread" as opposed to a dip, and if it had a bit more flavor, leftovers would be excellent as a sandwich spread.
This was a toss up. Husband liked it I did not like at all. Rosemary too over-powering (for me). Thanks for sharing though!
An easy and tasty dip. I used dried rosemary, but followed everything else. A nice recipe to keep handy when you're in need of a party dip at the last minute!
One of our local restaurants makes a dip very similar to this. My husband liked this one better. I wasn't quite as impressed as he was, but I did like it.
I served this as part of a small cocktail party menu. I served the dip warm and it was a big hit.
I am always looking for something healthy to dip vegetables in. This is a great recipe. I made just a few small changes. I didn't have fresh rosemary so I added 1 tbsp. dried leaves. I also added some roasted garlic and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
The taste was still a little too beanie for my family. I liked that the recipe was easy and tasted pretty good but for those who don't care for beans it is still a bit obvious that beans are present in the taste.
I did not care for this. All you could taste was the rosemary which was not a good combo with the beans. Nice idea, but lose the rosemary
We used 1/2 tsp of fresh rosemary and 2 tsp of jarred minced garlic (mccormick california style). We absolutely loved it! Even better with a little black pepper on top. Would make a yummy side dish served warm. Served warm it tasted like healthy mashed potatoes substitute.
