White Bean Roasted Garlic (Printer-friendly)

A creamy blend of white beans and roasted garlic, ideal for crisp sourdough toast or light snacks.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Spread

01 - 1 head garlic
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
03 - 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
05 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
06 - 0.5 teaspoon salt, or to taste
07 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

→ For Serving

08 - 4 slices sourdough bread
09 - Extra olive oil, for drizzling
10 - Fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, or thyme for garnish (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Slice the top off the head of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until soft and golden. Let cool slightly.
03 - Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a food processor.
04 - Add cannellini beans, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Adjust seasoning to taste.
05 - Toast the sourdough slices until golden and crisp.
06 - Spread the white bean and roasted garlic mixture generously over the toast.
07 - Drizzle with extra olive oil and garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes fancy enough to serve guests but comes together in under an hour with minimal effort.
  • Once you taste roasted garlic, you'll understand why people rave about it—creamy, mild, almost sweet.
  • This spread keeps for days, so you can make it ahead and feel like a genius when unexpected friends stop by.
02 -
  • If your food processor feels like it's grinding rather than smoothing, your beans need more liquid—add water one tablespoon at a time until the texture becomes velvety.
  • Roasted garlic cloves will slip right out of their papery skins if they're properly cooked; if they're sticking, return them to the oven for another few minutes.
03 -
  • Wrap your garlic tightly in foil to keep moisture in and ensure even roasting—loose foil leads to dried-out cloves.
  • Taste the spread at room temperature, not straight from the food processor, because cold dulls flavors and you'll likely over-season.
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