This past weekend, my niece was baptized and Jane and I officially became her godparents (nouno/nouna)! It was a very nice ceremony and she did so well. I’ll be writing a detailed post about how a baptism is performed in the [Greek] orthodox faith next week, so lookout for that. Let’s just say, yes, olive oil is involved.
After the baptism, my parents hosted everyone back at their house for lunch. Naturally, Greek food was on hand – pastitsio for everyone.
Since we knew a good amount of people would be there, both Jane and I wanted to make a snack people would enjoy. She suggested hummus and pita. Perfect.
However, when we went to the pantry, we had tahini, but not garbanzo beans. Noooo!!
Okay, so we thought for a moment. We had a ton of other beans on hand, so why not make something different. Give another bean a shot at making a dip.
For some unknown reason (probably failed recipes), we had a few bags of navy beans on hand. We knew that these beans need a good soaking, so we emptied them into a bowl, filled it with water, and let it sit overnight.
The next day, the beans were ready to go.
We threw them in a pan and cooked them. We made a few different batches, and we liked this one the best.
As we were tasting it, I knew I had tasted something similar before. Then it struck me. This is something similar to a meze we had in Greece! I did a bit of research, and sure enough, there are dips/spread served using all types of beans. They have something similar to this, using beans called gígantes ( γίγαντες).
Moreover, these or great northern can be used when making the “national dish of Greece,” Fassolatha.
Overall, everyone seemed the love it. Some liked it better than hummus, others thought it was just as good.
What’s nice about this recipe is that you can – taste while you make. Want more garlic? More paprika? Simply add whatever you’d like to fit your preference.
We hope you enjoy it!
Kenton & Jane
White Bean Dip | Navy Bean Puree
Ingredients
- 1 cup navy beans soaked for at least 12hrs
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add beans to pan and fill with water, about 2 inches above beans.
- Simmer over medium heat for 60 minutes, or until beans are soft.*
- Once done remove and drain, rinse with cold water.
- Place beans in food processor.
- Add, garlic, olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Blend until paste forms and all ingredients are mixed well.
- Plate and serve with some baked pita chips!
Love this recipe! I personalized it by using 4 cloves of garlic, a sprinkle of Creole seasoning, and some fresh lemon juice.