White Bean Puree

Serves 4-6
Vegan

This dish can be served hot as a side dish or cold as a dip with pitas and carrot sticks.

Oil
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and diced
2 cans of white beans
2-3 tablespoons of dried or fresh sage
handful of parsley, chopped roughly
1 large lemon or 2 small lemons
a few glugs of white wine, to taste (whatever you have in the fridge works)
salt and pepper, to taste
the hot sauce of your choice

In a medium sized pot, heat a few tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and the garlic and sauté over medium heat until golden brown.

Add the white beans. (Don’t worry about draining them completely or washing off all of the liquid they are canned in. This starchy liquid helps to thicken the puree. Plus, this way you don’t have to wash a colander). Cook this mixture for a few minutes.

Pour the mixture into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. If you don’t have one of these devices, mash the mixture with a fork. Pour the puree back into the pot over medium-low heat.

Add the sage, parsley, zest and juice of lemon(s), a few glugs of white wine, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Add all of these ingredients to taste. Cook for a few minutes until you feel like all of the flavors have come together. Taste it to make sure you like it!

This recipe can be made with just about anything you find in your refrigerator. Try adding some parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and toasted pine nuts for an Italian approach. If you don’t have white beans on hand, try it with kidney, black, or garbanzo beans. Anything goes, as long as you use plenty of seasonings that taste good to you.