We have a lot of Salvia plants in our garden. I particularly love the ones around our mail box. Come spring, and the Salvia erupt into a glorious bloom. This year, our Salvia are particularly lush and gorgeous, probably because of all the rain. Nothing makes me happier than coming home to these purple tufts of Salvia, buzzing with bees.
Just as the blooming of Salvia flowers remind me of the joys of spring, so do the stalks of asparagus at the farmers market. I made a healthy, vegan dip or hummus with fresh asparagus stalks and some white beans. This dip come together in no time and is a lighter alternative to creamy store bought dips. I also like using this as a spread for sandwiches.
White beans or cannellini beans add a nice creaminess to this dip/spread without the added fat. I used asparagus because it is now is season. Broccoli or spinach would also work.
Basil and lemon juice add a fresh, bright taste. If you like it more lemony, stir in some lemon zest.
Here are some other white bean/ cannellini bean based dips around the web
Giadas white bean dip. Gotta love Giada!
Cannellini bean dip with sage and rosemary by Andrea Meyers
Easy white bean dip on cheap healthy good blog
White Beans (Cannellini), Asparagus and Basil Hummus Dip Recipe
makes about 1 1/2 cups
6-8 stalks of asparagus
one 15 oz can white beans/cannellini beans, washed and drained well
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup basil leaves
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper
Chop off and discard the tough ends of the asparagus stalks. Chop the asparagus into pieces. Boil asparagus in some water, till asparagus is tender. Drain well and place asparagus in a blender. Place all other ingredient in the blender as well. Puree as smooth or as chunky as you like. Serve chilled with vegetable crudites, chips or pita bread.
A marvelous dip! So flavorful and creamy!
Cheers,
Rosa
[Reply]
That looks just gorgeous, I would love to reach into the screen and dip my finger in to have a taste :p
[Reply]
Oh my gosh, this is my first year gardening and I now have Salvia growing and totally love the colors of the bloom. The dip looks amazing.
[Reply]
I love using white beans to make dip! They have such a great texture. Your combination with the basil and asparagus sounds delicious.
[Reply]
This looks amazing! Bookmarked!
[Reply]
I love the color of this dip! It’s such a refreshing take on hummus. The photos are beautiful!
[Reply]
I’m glad to know the name of those gorgeous flowers. We have some in our garden too and they make me so happy. I could eat dip three meals a day and be happy. What a creative combo!
[Reply]
would be great on a sandwich.. let me try
[Reply]
Looks really tasty! What a great use for asparagus. I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate it into my meals.
[Reply]
Beautiful photos, delicious-looking recipe. I’m a fan! Love the idea of trying different beans as the base for a dip – like hummus only a bit lighter-tasting, I imagine. Lovely!
[Reply]
yummy.. i am going to make it this weekend, i have some hard lima beans in the pantry, that i am going to substitute. i have made something similar before but without asparagus, great addition.
[Reply]
An asparagus and white bean dip sounds really good!
[Reply]
What a beautiful recipe idea! I’m crazy about asparagus.
I would LOVE to share this with my readers on my Glamour magazine blog, Vitamin G. I am the health and fitness blogger. I’ll use one photo, and attribute it to you, sending lots of traffic back your way. Hope that’s alright! Just holler if you have any questions. Thank you, and beautiful blog. xo
[Reply]
DELICIOUS!!!! Not feeling like a full dinner after a long summer day, this hummus was absolutely perfect with some tortilla chips and a cold one…
[Reply]
I just tried this recipe (minus the asparagus because I didn’t have any). It was so delicious
I had it with some toasted pita chips sprinkled with rosemary
[Reply]
Absolutely delicious!! I used spinach instead of asparagus – tastes devine, thank you!
[Reply]
Lovely recipe…It will be a great sandwich spread. But I have a couple of questions here:
1) I am on a low fat diet. Can i reduce the oil? Will it still taste good?
2)Can I substitute white beans with baby lima beans( I have it in hand) ?
[Reply]