RECIPE: Roasted Onion White Bean Dip

Our Instant Pot® has received a lot more love over these last few months with making a couple batches of beans each week. We usually cook up a big batch of chickpeas for hummus and save some to roast up to top our salads with. A couple of months ago, we ran out of dried chickpeas, but we had white beans on hand so I decided to see how those would work for a hummus replacement. What a pleasant surprise! The white beans have a natural creaminess to them and produce a smooth dip without having to add a lot of extra liquid to the food processor.

One week I decided to roast up some onions to add to the “hummus” and wow! The flavor is bold and brings a great texture to the mix, too! But I didn’t just roast up the onions plain…I tossed them with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil to help caramelize them up a bit, which also amped up the flavor.

We love to add this to salads, savory cream of buckwheat, spread on toast or in sandwiches, dip raw/roasted veggies in, and enjoy with crackers! This recipe makes a very large batch, but between the three of us we polish it off in a few days. I made some to bring to a family gathering not long ago and it was a hit with some marinated snap peas that my aunt brought.

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ROASTED ONION WHITE BEAN DIP

What you need:

• 1 small onion, quartered or cut into eighths
• 3 small garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 3 cups cooked white beans*
• 3-4 Tablespoons tahini**
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
• salt + pepper to taste
• Optional flavor boosters: granulated garlic, nutritional yeast, hot sauce

*Can use Great Northern or cannellini beans.

**For this dip, I like to use Whole Foods roasted, salted tahini as it is super smooth and runny – helps to achieve a really creamy dip. Can also use a raw variety, but may need to add upwards of 1/4 cup of cold water or some extra olive oil.

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a small baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, toss the onion, garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt until well incorporated. Transfer to the small baking tray.
3. Roast for 10-15 minutes, or until the onion is softened and caramelized. I use our little toaster oven for this and due to the smaller space, the cooking time is faster. If using a bigger oven, you may need to roast longer.
4. In a food processor, add in remaining ingredients (along with the roasted onion + garlic) and puree to desired consistency. I usually do it until its silky smooth so no chunks remain (to be picky eater approved), but if you want a chunkier texture, I recommend pulsing it instead. If the mixture is too thick, you can add cold water one tablespoon at a time or additional olive oil.
5. ENJOY! It’s great topped with an extra drizzle of balsamic, fresh black pepper, or chopped olives. This dip tastes even better once it’s been refrigerated for a few hours. Store in an airtight container in the fridge – leftovers good for up to five days.

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If you give this recipe a try, please come back and let me know!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love,

Mandy