White Bean Dip with Lemon & Thyme

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tins white beans (530 g drained)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp cold water
• 80 g crackers
• 2 carrots (about 100 g each) + 2 celery sticks
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Blender
• Colander
• Fine grater
• Citrus juicer
• Knife
• Spatula

📖 Steps

1. Tip the white beans into a colander and rinse them under cold water until the foam disappears: the dip will taste cleaner. Shake them well to remove the excess water.
2. Peel the garlic clove and remove the green shoot if there is one, as it adds bitterness. Strip the thyme leaves by running your fingers down the sprigs, then finely chop the leaves. Grate the lemon zest, then squeeze the juice.
3. Put the beans, garlic, half the thyme, the lemon zest and juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, the cold water, ½ tsp salt and some pepper into the food processor bowl.
4. Blend for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides with a spatula halfway through, until you have a very smooth, airy purée. If it's too thick, add a little cold water a spoonful at a time. Taste and adjust with salt or lemon.
5. Peel the carrots and wash the celery sticks. Cut them into batons about 8 to 10 cm long and 1 cm thick: sturdy enough to dip without snapping.
6. Spoon the dip into a bowl, make a swirl with the back of a spoon, drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining thyme. Serve with the vegetable sticks and crackers on the side.