Butter bean dip with tomato and dill salsa
Hummus is our standard dip; we make lots of it every day at the restaurants. But sometimes you want something a little more sophisticated and using jars of silky smooth butter beans gives this dip an extra edge. It is creamy and indulgent, yet so easy to make it will soon become a favourite. Just don't call it hummus, as that must be made from chickpeas ('hummus' is derived from the Arabic and Hebrew words for chickpeas).
A decent blanket, plenty of napkins, good libations and, most of all, a bountiful selection of delicious homemade things make for the best picnic. Planning to eat outdoors can be a fool's errand with the uncertain weather in this country, so make sure that all the elements you can control are as good as they can be. And if you do get the sunny day you were praying for, won't you be glad you have a good spread to celebrate it with? These picnic-ready recipes are from Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, co-founders of the Honey & Co restaurants and delis in London, known for their delicious, Middle Eastern-inspired food.
Next, why not try more picnic recipes, beans recipes, or more recipes from the Honey & Co co-founders?
Butter bean dip with tomato and dill salsa
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the dip
For the tomato salsa
Preparation
Step 1
For the bean dip, blitz the garlic with the lemon juice, olive oil and ½tsp salt in a food processor. Add the butter beans with about half the liquid from the jar and blitz till smooth. Add the tahini and blitz again to form a smooth paste; if it is very thick, add a little more of the bean water. Taste and adiust the seasoning. (It will thicken as it cools, so if you are keeping the dip in the fridge for a few hours before eating, you may need to add a little extra water before packing your picnic.)
Step 2
For the tomato salsa, score an x in the base of each tomato, place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, then soak for 40-50 seconds. Remove from the water and peel off the skins. Cut into quarters, remove the seeds and slice the flesh into strips.
Step 3
Place the strips of tomato into a small mixing bowl along with all the other salsa ingredients, plus ½tsp table salt and a few good turns of freshly ground black pepper to season. Mix well. Set the salsa aside (this is best kept at room temperature until you are ready to serve it).
Step 4
To serve, spread the butter bean dip all over a large bowl or plate and top with the tomato salsa. Garnish it with a few extra dill fronds and the mild chilli flakes, and drizzle over a little olive oil.
