White Bean and Kale Skordalia

This white bean skordalia is my take on the Greek garlic dip, made with roasted garlic, lemon, and kale folded in. It goes great with my Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers.

Serves: 10 as a side

Time: 55 minutes (mostly roasting the garlic)

White bean and kale skordalia in a baking dish, served with roasted cod with tomatoes and olives

Ingredients

Skordalia

• 1 whole head garlic

• 60 ounces canned cannellini beans (four 15-ounce cans), drained and rinsed

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 2 lemons, zested and juiced

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

• 2 tablespoons ice water, as needed

Kale

• 5 ounces baby kale, cut into a chiffonade

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

To finish

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Slice the top off the garlic to expose the cloves, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast 40 to 45 minutes, until the cloves are golden and soft.

2. Squeeze the roasted garlic into a food processor. Add the beans, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, and white pepper. Process 2 to 3 minutes until very smooth, adding ice water a little at a time until it's silky, like hummus. Taste and adjust.

3. 3. Stack the baby kale leaves, roll them tightly, and slice into thin ribbons. In a bowl, toss the kale with the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, and massage gently for about a minute, until it softens and turns glossy.4. Fold the kale through the skordalia, then spread it in a wide, shallow dish. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with smoked paprika.

4. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm. It tastes better that way than cold.

Build Your Plate

• Lighter: a scoop of skordalia with the kale and raw vegetables for dipping.

• Bigger appetites: alongside the roasted cod, or with warm bread or pita (bread is not gluten-free).

• Picky eaters: set aside some plain skordalia before folding in the kale, and serve it with bread or crackers.

• Richer: an extra pool of olive oil on top, or a crumble of feta.

Picky eaters: set aside some plain skordalia before folding in the kale, and serve it with bread or crackers.

Leftovers

The skordalia keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge with the kale folded in. Let it come to room temperature before serving, and loosen it with a splash of water if it thickens. Use it as a sandwich spread, a base under roasted vegetables, or a dip for lunch.

Notes

Gluten-free and plant-based on its own. The garlic can be roasted up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge. Pairs well with Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers -

recipe in my Recipe Box.