Artichoke, Cannellini beans & Parmesan dip
When Maria and I were last in Perth visiting my family, my Mum (who is a fantastic cook) organised a big family dinner. As is the norm, we all stood around in the kitchen talking while my Mum put all the finishing touches on the evening's dishes and snacked on freshly made dips and matzos. They were all delicious, however the highlight was a this artichoke heart, cannellini bean and parmesan dip. We liked it so much that Maria and I have made it three times in the last 4 weeks. It's incredibly simple with the tartness of the artichoke hearts and lemon juice balancing the creaminess of the cannellini beans. The parmesan and parsley add a great depth and flavour as well. I have no doubt Maria and I will be making this for many years to come.
Recipe
- 1 small tub of artichoke hearts
- 1 tin of cannellini beans
- Half a bunch of flat leaf parsley
- Half a clove of garlic
- Grated parmesan
- Juice of one lemon
- Good quality olive oil
- A few tablespoons of water (should it not be creamy enough)
Combine the drained cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, parsley, garlic and 2 tablespoons of water in a blender. Blend together and add olive oil to loosen until the dip is the same consistency as hummus. Add half of the lemon juice to start and finely grated parmesan to taste. Continue to add lemon juice, parmesan and olive oil until the dip is well balanced. Should the parmesan thicken it up too much, add a few more tablespoons of water. Season to taste, garnish with coarsely chopped parsley and olive oil and, most importantly, serve with good bread or crackers and an aperitif!
