Tuscan Bean Dip

This is my simplified version of a recipe in the Artisan Bread in Five cookbook. I normally don’t pay attention to the non-bread recipes in there, but somehow this one caught my eye.

Ingredients

• 1 can cannellini
• 1 small red bell pepper, roasted
• 1 clove garlic, roasted
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1–2 cubes Dorot basil

Directions

1. Roast pepper and garlic if necessary.
2. Skin the pepper and peel the garlic.
3. Puree all ingredients but the bell pepper, adding water to get the desired consistency.
4. Coarsely chop in the bell pepper.

Variants

Apparently you can substitute White Northern beans if you can’t find cannellini; I don’t think I’ve ever seen this particular “easier to find” substitute, but YMMV.

I’ve seen an even simpler version in another cookbook, though I’m not sure which one: Omit the bell pepper, double the garlic and olive oil, and use 3 leaves of fresh basil.