This golden-hued butternut babe is the standby when we need something to round out the cheese board. To give it some needed color and vegetableyness. And to point out to the vegans that there is something for them to eat amongst all the brie and prosciutto-wrapped dates.
Butternut squash is so comfortable and cozy. It’s the teddy bear of veg. I love it simply roasted and mashed with butter and sea salt, any soup is improved when butternut comes to play, and this dip is just another way it shows off its versatility.
All you need is 1/2 hour of oven time and then ten minutes to whip up this dip. Serve it with crostini, crudites, etc. If you want to get a little big fancy I’ve done a few parties with chilled endive leaves, a smear of the dip and topped with a quick slaw of green apples, shallots, lemon and a hint of honey.
(The leaves and dip can be assembled ahead of time but wait til serving to add the slaw to keep everything fresh.) They look SO pretty, are kinda sweet and savory, and a good change from hummus. Don’t get me wrong, I heart hummus longtime! But sometimes a switch is fun, and your veggie friends will thank you.
Butternut & Rosemary Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1/2 small Butternut Squash (about 20 oz) cubed, makes about 4 cups
- fresh Rosemary
- 1 16 oz can White Beans, great northern, cannellini, etc. basically whatever's in your cupboard. Rinsed and drained
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 Lemon
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1-2 TB ice water
- Kosher salt, fresh pepper, chile flakes
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 425. Toss the squash onto a sturdy baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and swoosh the veg around to get a good coating. Season very well with salt, pepper, chile flakes, and 1-2 sprigs rosemary. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes. If you want to top the dip with some whole pieces of butternut set a handful aside now.
-
In a large food processor dump the rinsed beans, garlic, squash and salt. Zest and juice the lemon into the processor. Coarsely chop another sprigs worth of rosemary and add that as well.
-
Blend everything 'til finely ground. Give it a stir and put the lid back on. With the motor running, drizzle the olive oil steadily in, then add ice water until you've got a good hummus-like consistency.
-
Taste and season. Add chile flakes, pepper, more salt and rosemary as desired.
-
Plate in a shallow bowl with an extra sprinkle of flaky sea salt, drizzle of olive oil, and the remaining butternut bits.
Recipe Notes
- Easily made ahead of time, just cover well and refrigerate -- I like to put plastic wrap directly on top and then a lid to prevent any drying. Let it come to room temperature to serve.
- Leftovers are a perfect spread for sandwiches or wraps, really anything you would put hummus in. Burritos! Grilled cheese! Pasta salad!..Probably not ice cream.
Leave a Reply