Turkish White Bean Spread with Pepper and Yogurt Recipe
A creamy spread made from white beans, roasted red pepper, and a touch of yogurt, perfect for spreading on bread. In Turkish snack bars, similar spreads are served as part of a meze selection, alongside olives and pickled vegetables. The flavor is a bit like hummus, but milder and creamier thanks to the yogurt.
This spread combines the creaminess of white beans with the sweetness of roasted pepper and the light tang of yogurt, creating a milder, silkier alternative to hummus that fits perfectly into a meze-style snack spread.
Chef's tips
For the smoothest texture, blend the spread for a bit longer than you think is necessary and scrape down the sides of the blender a few times. If your beans are from a can, rinse them well under cold water to remove excess starch and brine, which can affect the flavor.
How to serve
Serve in a shallow bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika or Aleppo pepper, and plenty of warm flatbread or pita. It also pairs nicely with cucumber sticks, carrot sticks, and crisp lettuce leaves as a lighter appetizer.
Ingredients
- cooked white beans from a can or home-cooked, drained - 300 g
- red bell pepper for roasting - 1 piece
- plain yogurt thick - 80 g
- garlic - 1 clove
- olive oil plus a little for drizzling on top - 2 tablespoons
- lemon juice freshly squeezed - 1 tablespoon
- sweet paprika, ground - 0.5 teaspoons
- ground cumin optional - 0.25 teaspoons
- salt or to taste - 0.5 teaspoons
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
- flat-leaf parsley chopped, for sprinkling - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 220°C. Wash the pepper, cut it in half, remove the core and seeds, and place it skin-side up on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Roast the pepper for 12–15 minutes, until the skin is well darkened and slightly charred in spots. Then transfer it to a bowl, cover with a plate or foil and set aside for 10 minutes, then peel off the skin.
- Cut the roasted pepper into smaller pieces. Peel the garlic.
- Put the drained beans, pepper pieces, yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, sweet paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper into a blender jug.
- Blend everything into a smooth spread. If it is too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of water or a little more yogurt and blend again.
- Taste the spread and, if needed, season with additional salt, lemon, or pepper.
- Transfer the spread to a small bowl, smooth the top with a spoon, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
- Serve at room temperature with bread, pita, or fresh vegetables.
Storage
Pastę przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku w lodówce. Przed podaniem wyjmij ją na 10–15 minut, aby nie była lodowata, i zamieszaj. Możesz też zamrozić ją w małych porcjach, ale po rozmrożeniu może być nieco rzadsza – wtedy wystarczy ją mocniej zmiksować.
