White Bean Hummus Dip

There will be a lot of fattening, deep fat fried appetizers at our annual New Year's Eve party, but if you want a appetizer on the healthier side, this White Bean Hummus is just what you need.  As you know, hummus is generally made with garbanzo or chick peas. However, I don't love the texture of these beans, but I love the mild flavor of white beans. I made this dip and my children and I ate it all up in one day. It was a great way to get my kids to eat their vegetables and I will be making this again for sure for the upcoming week and many more times to come. Serve it with crackers, tortilla chips or any vegetable you choose. It is creamy, garlicky, a little spicy and full of amazing flavors!

White Bean Hummus Dip
4 c. pureed white beans or chick peas (2 cans)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (or more if you like more spice)
1/2 lemon zest
1/2 t. cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. paprika
2 T. parsley, chopped
1/3-1/2 c. olive oil
1 roasted red bell pepper (if you have never done this before, I will explain how here)
1-2 T. water (depending how thick you would like your dip and how much moisture was in the beans when you pureed them

In a food processor, puree the white beans or chick peas until smooth. Add the seasonings and garlic to the food processor and continue to puree until smooth.

To roast the red bell pepper, place the pepper on a cookie sheet and lightly spray the pepper with cooking spray. Turn your oven to broil and place the pan in the oven on the middle shelf. Watch the pepper carefully and when the top of the pepper is black and charred, remove the pan and flip the pepper to the other side. Let the other side of the pepper blacken and then remove from the oven. Place the pepper in a plastic bag (like a sandwich bag or a brown paper sack). Let the pepper steam for a few minutes until it has cooled off a little. When it is cool, remove the pepper and peel off the black skin. Remove the core and slice the pepper in large pieces and add to the bean mixture. Add water so the dip is to your desired consistency. Serve dip with a drizzle of extra olive oil on top of the dip and more fresh parsley. Serve with crackers, vegetables, or tortilla chips.