Enjoy this bean dip at your next party for a smart snack choice. It's low in saturated fat and ideal for dipping fresh vegetables, spreading on pita bread, using as a vegetarian sandwich spread, or filling a healthy quesadilla.

Yield: About 2 cups, 16 servings

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 small onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup canned white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach, reduce the heat to medium, and cook about 4 minutes more, until the spinach is wilted and the onions have softened. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.
2. To the bowl of a food processor, add the white kidney beans and the garbanzo beans. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the cooked onions and spinach. Pulse until a puree begins to form, about 5 to 6 pulses.
3. Add the smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until smooth, about 5 to 6 more pulses. Serve immediately, at room temperature.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.