Spring Dip Recipe: White Bean Tapenade on Sourdough

A plate with toast and salad, next to a bottle and glass of rosé wine, with pink flowers in the background.

One of our favorite spring recipes is Roasted Green Garlic White Bean Tapenade on Sourdough Toast, which pairs beautifully with rosé bubbly. Iron Horse makes three – our Brut Rosé, Spring Rosé and Gratitude. This recipe serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer. Pro-tip: all beans are not created equally. We’re huge fans of Rancho Gordo’s heirloom beans – and we’re sure that you will be, too!

Ingredients

¾ lb dried white beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained

2-3 bay leaves

810 stalks green garlic, chopped fine

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 lemon, cut in half

1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced

1 generous tsp dried oregano

1 generous tsp chili pepper

¾ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine, divided

2-3 spring onions, white and pale green part, chopped fine

1 loaf sourdough bread such as ciabatta, sliced in half lengthwise

½ cup melted unsalted butter, kept warm

4-5 round radish or French breakfast radish, sliced into thin rounds

Fresh snipped chives and chive blossoms

How to Make

Pre-heat over to 425 degrees.

For the white bean dip: Place the white beans in a pot large enough to hold the beans and fill with water to about 2″ above the beans. Add the bay leaves. Cover and bring the beans to a boil, skim, and cook, partially covered until very tender, but not mushy. Cook beans with a rapid boil, but not a hard boil. About 30 minutes.

While the beans are cooking, toss the green garlic with a bit of sea salt, black pepper, and about 2-3 Tablespoons EVVO. Roast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes until light brown, but not too crispy. Remove from oven, toss, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside.

Remove beans from heat, drain well, and reserve a bit of the cooking water (to use only only if needed when mixing).

While beans are still warm, add them to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the sliced yellow onion. Season with sea salt and several turns of black pepper. Add roasted green garlic, dried oregano, chili pepper, and about half the chopped parsley. Pulse to combine. Add a 1/2 cup EVVO, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Pulse until well combined, rustic or smooth to taste, but not over processed. Taste and adjust for seasoning and consistency.

Scrape bean mixture into a bowl and generously drizzle top with more parsley, EVOO, and lemon juice. Let sit for 15 minutes to meld flavors.

For the toast: Place the sliced sour dough halves on a sheet pan. Slather (brush) generously both halves with the melted butter.

Toss the chopped spring onions with sea salt, a couple of turns with black pepper, and a drizzle of EVVO. Sprinkled over the buttered bread. Toast in the oven 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove from the oven. Let cool slightly, slice into serving portions.

To serve, arrange the sliced toast on a platter or on individual plates, add a generous amount of the tapenade, garnish with the sliced radishes, chives and chive blossoms. Enjoy with Iron Horse vintage Rosé Sparkling Wine.