Summer Spread: Herby White Bean and Feta Dip

 

This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated by the Ontario Bean Growers, I've been a huge fan of all things bean related for a very long time. All opinions are mine.

While the “official” start to summer is less than a week away, I’ve been feeling those summertime vibes for some time now. It’s another scorcher of a day here in Saskatoon, and with a house that lacks air conditioning, finding meals to cook without generating any heat inside the house is a huge deal for me. Heck, even when I boil the tea kettle, my thermostat goes up by half a degree! Gotta love old houses and the sweat boxes they truly are. Oh what I wouldn’t give for a finished basement and/or the hum of air conditioning right now. Alas, I’ve sweltered in the summer for well over a decade here, and I am more or less used to it. Doesn’t mean I won’t whine about it from time to time!

This heat means I get to be creative in the kitchen, whipping up good eats without the oven or stove top. Sure, I can barbecue, and I do, but I also love having delicious dips, spreads and fresh veg on hand for super quick and light meals. This Herby White Bean and Feta dip is super good - especially with fresh herbs snipped just outside my back door. I love this little kitchen garden of mine! The herbs, along with canned white kidney beans or cannellini beans, feta cheese, Greek yogurt (I like the full fat stuff), olive oil, and lemon juice get blitzed and blended in a food processor until smooth. This takes like 10 minutes, and before you know it, you’re spreading this light and creamy dip on crostini or crackers and having a mighty fine snack. 

I love how quickly this dip comes together white canned white beans as a base. Beans, whether they're dried or canned, are always in my pantry. Having them there means that quick snacks like this are possible. I know the creamy white beans will not only add loads of nutrition to this dish, but they’ll also make the dip a more substantial snack which will ultimately be more satisfying. White beans are so versatile and nutritious, they're one of the best things to have stocked in the pantry. Protein-packed and high in fibre, beans can be used in all sorts of recipes for dips and spreads, stews and chili, salads and pasta, heck even smoothies and brownies! Ontario is a hub of bean production in Canada, with over 1200 farmers growing eight types of beans. Most of these (80-90%) will be exported around the world. Beans are super rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, and they're inexpensive to buy. While the world slowly reopens (hooray for the vaccine!), it's important to me that I continue to eat nutritious, delicious meals and watch the grocery budget. Beans check all of the boxes. And they taste so good! You can either cook your own white kidney beans, or you can use canned beans. For more information on beans, and more delicious recipes take a look here. 

With provinces slowly opening up more and more (thank goodness) there will be summer potlucks and picnics with friends and family. This super-tasty dip will be coming along with me as I make some summertime plans to escape the city. I hope you enjoy it (and the sun) as much as I do. 

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Herby White Bean and Feta Dip 

This light and creamy dip is perfect for summer noshing. Full of flavour, thanks to the feta, you can add whatever fresh herbs you like, though dill, chives and mint are surefire winners. This dip is nutritious and delicious, and it’s best served with crostini (or crackers) and fresh, seasonal vegetables. Can be packed along on a picnic or camping trip, too. 

Makes: 2 1/2 cups

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

1 (540 mL/19 oz) can white kidney beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

200 g feta cheese, crumbled 

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

3 Tbsp roughly chopped herbs such as dill, chives, mint or all three

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 

2 garlic cloves, smashed

salt and pepper to taste

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine all of the ingredients. Process until smooth, scraping down the bowl from time to time. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scrape into a shallow bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with fresh herbs, if you like. Will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.