This Cannellini Bean Dip Is Jacques Pépin’s Go-To Party Dish

This week, we’re spotlighting recipes from Jacques Pépin Heart and Soul in the Kitchen (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), a collection of fuss-free recipes straight from Pepin’s kitchen. Try making the recipes at home and let us know what you think!

Photograph by Tom Hopkins

By Jacques Pépin
Cannellini Bean Dip
Serves 4

I like to offer guests a little treat when I’m serving drinks, and this dip is always welcome. My pantry is never without canned beans, from cannellini to black beans to large butter beans. The garnishes make the dish look more attractive—and more like a classic hummus made with chickpeas.

Dip
One 1-pound can cannellini beans, drained (about 1 ? cups)
1 large garlic clove, crushed
? cup diced bread
? cup olive oil
1 tablespoon water
? teaspoon ground cumin
? teaspoon salt
? teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Garnishes
1/3 cup reserved beans (from above)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
? teaspoon paprika
? teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
3 or 4 tostadas or hard taco shells, broken into wedges, or toasts or rice crackers

For the dip: Reserve 1/3 cup of the beans for garnish. Put the remaining beans in a blender or food processor. Add all the remaining ingredients and process until very smooth, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula a few times if need be to help combine the ingredients.

Transfer the dip (you should have about 2 cups) to a shallow serving dish and create a well in the center.

For the garnishes: Put the reserved beans in the well in the dip and pour in the olive oil. Sprinkle with the paprika, poppy seeds, and parsley. Serve surrounded by the tostadas or tacos, toasts, or crackers.

Reprinted with permission from Jacques Pépin Heart and Soul in the Kitchen (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

More dips to start the party:

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Dip from ‘Martha Stewart’s Appetizers’

Broccoli Hummus Recipe from ‘Short Stack’

Feta Dip Recipe with Radishes from 'Root to Leaf’