Cannellini Bean & Artichoke Dip

I love bean dips…hummus….yummy….mexican bean dip…delicious.

One of my favorite dips to make when I have a brunch or party is this cannellini bean dip.  It is great because it is vegan, gluten-free and is a crowd pleaser.  Everytime I make it, I am always asked to get the recipe.

Here is the recipe for a bean and artichoke dip.  The great thing about this recipe is you can substitute or add different herbs or olives to change the flavor profile.

Cannellini & Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 can Cannellini Beans (drained)
• 1 can artichoke hearts (drained) *
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt (or less if adding something salty like olives)

Directions:

1.  In a food processor, puree garlic, beans, lemon juice, salt and olive oil until smooth.  Stop processor and scrape down sides to make sure all the chunks of garlic are back in the mixture.  Then turn on the processor and blend for 30 seconds more.

2.  When the bean mixture is completely smooth, add the drained artichoke hears and pulse the processor 3-4 times so that the artichoke hearts are still chunky.

3. Drizzle with some high quality olive oil to finish it off and serve with pita chips, crostini, crudites, or pretty much anything….

* In this recipe I use artichoke hearts but you can easily substitute sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle peppers, olives, herbs, parmesan cheese, etc. to work with what you have on hand.