Meatless Monday: Rosemary and Sage White Bean Spread

This recipe was born out of neccesity. A pot of over-cooked beans would have turned to mush in a salad or soup, so a schmootz was the simple solution.

This was became a staple of my vegan detox as a spread on rice cakes, as a substitute for mayo and as a dip for blanched veggies. It was especially delicious spread onto thin potato slices.

You couuld certainly throw all of the ingredients and to a food processor and press puree but I strongly suggest that you take the extra step of cooking the shallots and garlic before pureeing. The extra flavor it adds to the dip is totally worth the minimal effort.

This spread is budget-friendly and can be made-ahead of time. It lasts about a week in the fridge. Do not be nervous about the small amount of hot sauce added to the recipe, this dip is not spicy, the hot sauce simply brings out the best in all of the other ingredients.

Rosemary and Sage White Bean Spread

1/4 cup olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves
1 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
4 cups white beans, rinsed and drained (homemade or from a can)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
1 tsp. siracha chili sauce or red pepper sauce, more to taste
1 – 2 Tbsp. water
optional garnish: high quality extra-virgin olive oil

Add the olive oil, shallot and garlic to a small skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in the rosemary and sage leaves.

Add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the water, to the bowl of a food processor and top with the olive oil mixture. Process until smooth. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of water and process until the mixture reaches the  desired texture. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until needed.

For extra flair and flavor, drizzle a very small amount of extra-virgin olive oil over the dip before serving.