Roasted Red Pepper and White Bean Dip

I will admit I am not the best about eating a balanced lunch.  I tend to eat random snack foods until I feel full.  Usually my lunch consists of fruit, some cheese, and a granola bar or yogurt.  While healthy, it’s not the most exciting meal so I was looking for something different this week.  This dip turned out to be a nice change to my usual routine.  Still healthy but very tasty and filling.

The recipe is very simple and easy.  Also, it yields a LOT of dip.  Next time I will probably only make a half-batch, but this time I will give half to my family.  It was easy to adjust the seasoning to suit my taste.  I think I added quite a bit more roasted red pepper flakes to give it more of a kick.  Delicious!

Roasted Red Pepper and White Bean Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups dry white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern

5 cups water

5 tbsp. chopped basil

¾ cup sweet marinated roasted red peppers

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic

½ tsp. salt

ground black pepper

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. sugar

 

Directions:

Place beans in a large bowl.  Add water and soak for 6-8 hours.  In a large pot of water, bring the beans to a boil.  Turn the heat down and allow to simmer 45 minutes or until the beans are tender.  Remove from heat and drain.

 

Add the cooked beans to the bowl of a food processor.  Add all remaining ingredients and process until smooth.  Taste mixture and adjust seasonings as desired.

Source: adapted from Kirby Von Scrumptious