Hello! I hope that all of my friends in Canada and the Northern United States are keeping warm. On the Canadian Prairies today, it’s -40’C (-40’F). Brrrrr! This bloody cold weather has me longing for spring or an impromptu winter getaway. Hmmmm. Alas, since I have no vacation time left until April, I guess the winter getaway is out of the question. So, I will have to find other ways to wait the winter season out. Staying in the kitchen and cooking seems to be a great way to stay warm and be creative. Using ingredients that pack a little heat also seems to help the situation.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with adding Cajun seasoning to a variety of dishes including stews, soups, roasted veggies and now this dip in an effort to warm things up a bit around here. And let me tell you, this dip is delicious. I was slightly surprised, as I’ve had bean based dips many times. They’ve all been yummy, but they have started blending together in my mind. The nice sweet, smokiness from the paprika really made this dip a bit different. The lime lightened it up nicely and the cayenne packed a little bit of heat. I enjoyed this dip with raw veggies, but I would imagine it is really nice on a sandwich as a spread too. I highly recommend trying to make your own simple Cajun seasoning. It’s more economical than buying a specialty blend at the store and creating your own allows you to choose how spicy you want the mix.
If you are looking for a healthy appetizer option to serve at your upcoming Super Bowl party, I highly suggest this dip. It’s high fibre + protein and is full of flavour. It’s also a great vegan option!
Stay warm everyone! xo
Ingredients
- 1 (19 oz) can of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- juice of one small lime
- 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
- 1/2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning (recipe to follow)
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 1/4 cup of finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup of finely chopped yellow bell pepper
- raw veggies for dipping (carrots, snap peas, peppers, cauliflower etc)
Cajun Seasoning
- 1/4 cup of paprika
- 1/4 cup of dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Combine all of the spices + herbs together in a jar. Recipe yields 1/2 cup of seasoning and keeps fresh for about a month. Use cajun spice mix in dips, soups, stews and in marinades.
Method
1. Purée the beans, juice of one small lime, cloves of garlic, oil and Cajun seasoning together in a food processor until creamy and smooth.
2. Transfer dip to a serving bowl and mix in the finely chopped pepper. Sprinkle with a touch of Cajun seasoning. Allow dip to sit for about 15 minutes to allow flavours to meld. Serve with your favourite raw veggies.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Source: Bean dip adapted from Whole Foods website; Cajun seasoning from Canadian Living website
Great photo Courtney! As always, it looks delicious. I will put it on my very long list of things to make! Hope you are staying warm-it’s 0 degrees here right now! I don’t know how we ended up with that, hehe!
You are so lucky!!!! 0’C sounds tropical right about now! LOL. Send some warm weather this way please! xo
Looks tasty!
Thanks Mike! :)
OMG. I can’t even handle that. When I lived in Edmonton, we saw cold weather that was similar. I’m glad that now living in Seattle, it never gets colder than 0ºC. Maybe the spice from this dip can warm you a bit ;)
I hope so! Otherwise, I’m moving! Seattle sounds like a nice place to live! I could definitely handle a climate that rarely gets colder than 0’C! That sounds tropical right about now! *haha*
Wow this looks perfect! Absolutely love the sound of that Cajun seasoning – will be trying that, thanks! :)
The cajun seasoning is yummy! I’ve been adding it to everything this week. *haha*
yum that sounds delicious! haha I am with you with the -40! it was -32 today…. brrrrr Welcome to Canada people !
*haha* It’s true! We should be used to this weather. Happens every year! *haha* I think I need to move.
i can’t believe how cold it is there! it’s 20 degrees here, and all i can do is complain about the cold. i’m pathetic.
i love this cajun white bean dip! it’s just in time for mardi gras next month ;) i honestly think dip made from white beans is the creamiest and most delicious(but don’t tell chickpeas i said that).
YUM – says it all!! This is going in my “to try out” recipe list!
Stephanie
http://sharelovealways.blogspot.ca/
At least it isn’t snowing here yet! Just this face-numbing cold… Good think there are hot dips like this one to warm us up! I’ll have to give this one a shot. Great recipe Courtney!
Holy cow -40!!! and I thought -1 was cold (our temp yesterday brrrr!) – this dip screams summer, I love the addition of lime to brighten up all the flavors, you are so creative!
Yikes, I don’t think I’d be leaving my house if I were you…which makes the perfect excuse to use up things in your pantry like beans! I love how creamy white bean dip is, and I wouldn’t have thought to add chopped peppers for a bit of texture!
love this! sounds super delicious!!
I just could not handle weather that cold. I can’t even fathom it. I hope you’re keeping warm!
I love how creamy this dip looks- and the seasoning on top looks so delicious! Yum!
This dip looks great, and I love that there are veggies hiding in it! The cajun flavours would go perfectly with the Superbowl being in New Orleans this year!
Mmm! I totally have to try this for the Superbowl! I LOVE cajun seasoning! They put it on everything in Southern Missouri so I’m pretty sure I grew up eating it by the spoonful :)
Stay warm out there!!
This looks so good, Courtney! I love the idea of adding Cajun seasoning to the beans (I love cajun seasoning! :)