Spice up your dip routine with this White Bean Dip with Piada Chips and Pistachio Olive Oil. Perfect as a snack, starter or appetiser, it’s creamy, tasty and three in one: a super healthy spread based on white beans, homemade piada chips and a pistachio and parsley olive oil that goes well with everything. 10 minutes plus whatever it takes to preheat your oven is all you need to enjoy this delicious dip!
With the temperatures rising little by little, I’m coming up with plenty of light food ideas for the summer (although, well, I really enjoy a dip like this all year round :P). Good dips are essential in my diet and they are also so easy to make!
Today’s dip was born from the fact that I had just recently made bean soup and my mind out of the blue connected beans with hummus and boom! Magic happened and this white bean dip came out. Oh, and it has a very special touch, my garlic confit that you have loved so much.
Furthermore, to vary from the classic pita or vegetables for dipping such as carrots, peppers or cucumber (let me confess that peppers, cucumber + paula are not a good equation XD), I made homemade flatbread chips to go with it.
To top it up, since I always like to drizzle a bit of good extra virgin olive oil over hummus, I thought, why not make a tuned oil that gives makes this dip even more appealing to the eye? So I used the parsley I’m growing in my balcony plus pistachios I had in my pantry, which are a bit more colourful than other nuts (and aren’t as “earthy” as other nuts). What’s more, the pistachios add an amazing layer of texture that contrasts so well with the smoothness of the dip.
I really think this dip is going to become one of your dip must-haves!
Let’s Start with Piada
What’s Piada?
Piada is an Italian flat, thin, circular bread. Depending on the area of Emilia-Romagna it is called piada (in Rimini) or Piadina (further up north), and between the two the thickness and size vary a little.
And what about the chips?
To make the chips I used mini piadas that I cut into 6 triangles, but if you find larger ones, don’t hesitate to cut more triangles out of them. What’s important is that the piadas you buy have good ingredients (flour, salt, leavening agent, water and oil. It should not have anything else). When baking the triangles at high temperature they become crispy and as a result, we obtain delicious healthy chips, no need to fry them or call for any strange ingredients.
If you can’t find piada, the process that I explain in the recipe is also valid for wheat and corn tortillas, pita-type flatbread or even naan (any thin flatbread we have on hand).
White Bean Dip Ingredients
It’s amazing how good this white bean dip is just as is. It’s so easy and only has a handful of ingredients and that’s where the key is! As there are few ingredients, the important thing is that they are as good as possible (considering availability and price of course).
- White Beans (cannellini beans, butter beans…): I use them already cooked so this dip is really quick to make. If you have dried beans and/or prefer to cook them yourself, here I explain how you can do it (it’s the same as for chickpeas) :).
- Tahini: it’s basically sesame butter. You can find it made from roasted sesame seeds or natural. If they’re toasted, the flavour is stronger.
- Garlic confit: I have used my garlic confit, which has been a huge hit on social media (so much that I can’t really believe it) and since I have had a thousand questions about how it can be used, here’s one way among the tons of options. Confit garlic cloves also give the dip extra depth of flavour depending on the herbs and spices you have added to the confit. If you don’t have garlic confit, you can use raw garlic cloves (without the sprout), roasted or cooked in the micro (maximum power for about 5 minutes).
- Lemon juice: the acidity of the lemon in addition to its flavour always pairs so well with legumes. You can always adjust the amount to taste.
- Salt: a must.
- Water: to adjust the consistency. Use it very very very cold which helps with creaminess.
Pistachio Olive Oil Topping
This olive oil along with some red radish sprouts are the topping for today’s bean dip. As I always say, toppings can be optional… but if not using them the recipe won’t be the same. The oil simply consists of mixing a good extra virgin olive oil with toasted pistachios and chopped parsley. Since the pistachios I used were already salted, I didn’t add any salt, but you could if you want.
By the way! As for the radish sprouts, they not only bring a spectacular touch of colour, but they also bring those fresh and spicy radish properties that are just perfect in this recipe. If you can’t find sprouts, sliced or chopped radishes would also work.
Key Tips to Make this White Bean Dip with Piada Chips
- For an extra creamy white bean dip you will need a powerful food processor or blender. With a handheld or weak one it won’t be the same.
- Cold water or even ice also helps keep the spread super creamy while we adjust the consistency.
- When you bake the flatbread triangles, be careful not to overlap them so that they are toasted evenly.
- It’s important that the oven temperature is consistently at 200ºC (or a little more if it has to change), because if it decreases the bread won’t crisp up as it should (I can tell you this from experience since my oven is pretty inconsistent and I always have to keep an eye on it to ensure the temperature doesn’t drop).
If you follow these tips, you will surely make the best white bean dip with homemade flatbread chips ever!
More Perfect Appetizers
Since we turn on the oven to make the piada chips, we can take advantage of it to make these appetizers if we have a celebration or meal at home.
If you make this White Bean Dip with Piada Chips and Pistachio Olive Oil recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate it. Hearing from you is everything! Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
White Bean Dip with Piada Chips and Pistachio Olive Oil
Ingredients
Chips
- 8 piadas - mini cut into triangles (or another flatbread cut into triangles)
- Oil - preferably extra virgin olive oil
White Bean Dip
- 1 400 g can white beans - butter beans or cannellini beans for example. Drained and washed (the weight is drained weight)
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 cloves of garlic confit - or roasted, or microwaved. Use 1 if raw, sprout removed.
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- Water - cold, up to 4 tablespoons
Pistachio Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp parsley - fresh and chopped
- 15 pistachios - preferably roasted and salted. Chopped (if there are a few larger pieces that is great).
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red radish sprouts - optional. You can substitute with sliced or chopped radish.
Instructions
Chips
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC. On a baking tray, arrange the piada triangles(or whichever flatbread triangles you use) in one layer. They shouldn’t overlap each other. Drizzle some olive oil on top of each triangle and bake for 10 minutes (it is important that your oven is at 200ºC, if it is at a lower temperature they will not end up as crispy as they should). While they are in the oven, prepare the rest.
White Bean Dip
- In a food processor or powerful blender add the white beans, tahini, garlic, lemon and salt. Blend until smooth. Taste it and adjust its saltiness, lemon and even garlic if you want. At this point you can add a little cold water if you prefer a thinner dip. Blend again and set aside.
Pistachio Olive Oil
- In a small bowl, mix the oil with the finely chopped parsley and the chopped pistachios. Set aside.
Presentation
- Pour the white bean dip into a bowl and swirl the top with a spoon, from the outside towards the center. Drizzle some pistachio oil over it following the swirl and sprinkle the radish sprouts on top.
- Serve with the piada chips and the oil on one side so people can add extra oil if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can also serve this dip with crackers or vegetable sticks (carrot, pepper, celery or cucumber for example).
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @paulasapron on Instagram and hashtag it #paulasapron.