Julia Child’s White Bean Hummus gets extra flavor from plenty of garlic and fresh herbs! And I love Julia’s tasty white bean hummus served with low-carb pita bread!
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This marks the fourth year food bloggers have celebrated Julia Child’s August 15 birthday by cooking one of her recipes, and after seeing Julie and Julia last week, this birthday celebration seems even more fun. I got down my only Julia Child cookbook and searched for something that could possibly be made South Beach Diet friendly, and this recipe for pureed white beans with garlic and basil was the winner!
Julia says that this white bean hummus can be made with canned beans, and the amount specified for the beans is exactly what I measured from one can of beans, which seems like good evidence that the cooking goddess did indeed use canned beans. The book also says the recipe can be made in a “super-blender-food-processor” which is what I used!
It surprised me to see that the recipe from a book published in 1970 included tahini paste (which Julia called “sesame seed paste”) so if you made this with garbanzo beans you could get away with calling it Julia Child’s hummus. I used white beans and increased the amount of basil a little, and ate it with low-carb pita bread, wishing I was in Paris sharing the plate with Julia and Paul.
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How to Make Julia Child’s White Bean Hummus:
(Scroll down for complete recipe including nutritional information.)
- I made a double batch so I’d have leftovers in the fridge, so be aware that amounts in these photos are two times what the recipe says. I started with canned Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained in a colander.
- You can see from the holes that some kind of pest is eating my basil, but luckily I still had enough in the garden to use a generous amount of chopped basil.
- I used the food processor to partially chop the basil before I added the other ingredients, because I wanted finely chopped basil in the finished dish.
- Here’s how the white bean puree looked after I pureed the beans, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic. Decidedly short on looks, but long on flavor.
- Serve with low-carb pita bread or use veggie dippers for a version that’s gluten-free and lower in carbs.
More Recipes from Julia Child:
Spaghetti Marco Polo from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Beef Bourguignon from Simply Recipes
Julia Child’s Eggplant Pizza from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Julia Child’s Waterzooi from Nami Nami
Julia Child’s Cucumber Salad from A Veggie Venture
Julia Child’s French Bread from Andrea’s Recipes
Ingredients
- one 15 oz. can white beans (see notes)
- 20 leaves fresh basil
- 1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice (or more)
- 1/4 cup Tahini sauce
- 2 tsp. minced garlic (or more)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 T olive oil (plus more for drizzling on top if desired)
Instructions
- Empty the can of white beans into a colander placed in the sink, rinse well with cold water and let drain at least 5 minutes.
- While beans are draining, wash basil leaves, spin dry in salad spinner or dry with paper towels, then put basil in the food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Add beans, fresh lemon juice, Tahini Sauce (affiliate link), and minced garlic and process until beans are well pureed, about 1 minute.
- When mixture is blended, add olive oil through the feed tube, 1 T at a time.
- Taste mixture to see if you want more lemon juice, then season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and pulse a few times to mix in.
- Garnish with fresh herbs if desired, and serve with pita bread, veggies, or crackers.
Notes
Julia’s recipe says garbanzo beans or black beans can also be used.
This recipe slightly adapted from my only Julia Child Cookbook – From Julia Child’s Kitchen.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 138Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 256mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Julia Child’s White Bean Hummus with Garlic and Herbs will never be low-carb because of the beans, but canned white beans are a perfect low-glycemic food, and this dip without pita bread would also be suitable for any phase of the South Beach Diet. Served with low-carb pita bread, whole wheat pita bread, or whole-grain crackers, it would be phase 2 or 3 for South Beach. You could serve with celery, red bell pepper, or broccoli dippers for phase one.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Online Recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking:
Blogging the Art of French Cooking is an amazing compilation of posts by bloggers, re-creating all the recipes from Julia Child’s famous book, created by Whisk, A Food Blog.
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Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip
My Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip was a Denny family favorite long before anyone heard of Ranch Dressing! And this family favorite Ranch Dip is a delicious low-carb and keto dip recipe and in my family this makes an appearance at every holiday gathering!
PIN Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip to try it later!
My Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is one of my favorite memories from childhood! As early as I can remember, my Grandma Denny made a fantastic dip that she served with carrots and celery as an appetizer at every family gathering. In those days we called Grandma’s homemade ranch dip just *Vegetable Dip* as if there was only one kind of dip that could possibly be served with veggies.
This was long before the introduction of Ranch Dressing to the American culinary scene, and obviously my Grandma Denny was ahead of her time, because now people all over the country are eating Ranch Dip with veggies. And in my own extended family, there would never be a holiday gathering without this delicious homemade Ranch Dip on the table.
Of course there’s nothing wrong with making Ranch-Style Vegetable Dip using a package mix if that time-saver works for you. But my grandma’s Homemade Ranch Dip is a bit fresher tasting as well as being low in carbs, and if you usually use the mix but don’t have a package on hand I bet you’ll love my Grandma’s recipe.
Grandma Denny always used full-fat mayo and sour cream, but for anyone wanting lower fat you can obviously make this with reduced-fat products if you prefer. Or if you don’t like mayo, you might prefer the variation below for Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, made with Greek yogurt and blended cottage cheese for a higher protein, lower-fat dip.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
Can you make this dip with onion powder?
I love the flavor the grated onion gives to my Grandma Denny’s homemade ranch dip. But if you prefer or want to save time, just use 1 tsp. onion powder.
Can you make this homemade ranch dip with Greek Yogurt?
I sometimes make a variation of this that I call Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip that’s lower in fat and higher in protein. For that variation follow this recipe but replace the sour cream with one cup of cottage that’s blended in the food processor until it’s nearly smooth and replace the mayo with one cup fat-free Greek Yogurt. (This is the version I would make when I was strictly following the original South Beach Diet.)
Want a version of ranch dip with more texture?
You can make a variation of this homemade ranch dip recipe with a little chopped red onion, finely diced cucumber, and finely diced red pepper if you’d like a chunkier dip. I would use about 2 T of each.
How to Make Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- My Grandma always used Bon Appetit Seasoning Salt as the secret seasoning in her vegetable dip, but it’s no longer being made (sob!) If you still have Bon Appetit, use it, but now I use Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link). If you’re in Europe you can also use Trocomare Seasoning. (affiliate link)
- Grate a small amount of raw onion into a bowl. (I use the large side of a box grater; don’t use a microplane grater which just turns the onion to liquid.)
- Add mayo and sour cream to bowl.
- Then add Beau Monde Seasoning and dried dill weed (affiliate link).
- Mix all ingredients together well with a whisk. You can use a food processor as well, but the whisk is quicker.
- Let the dip chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two for best flavor.
- Serve with raw vegetables like celery, sugar snap peas, bell pepper strips, jicama, radishes, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- This is also good with carrots or as a dip for baked sweet potato fries for those who don’t mind more carbs.
- I tested this out on my friend Robin and she gave it two thumbs up!
More Tasty Vegetable Dips You Might Like:
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream (see notes)
- 1 cup mayo (see notes)
- 1 tsp. grated onion
- 2 tsp. dried dill weed
- 2 tsp. Beau Monde Seasoning (see notes)
Instructions
- Grate onion into a bowl, using the large side of a box grater or flat grater (not a microplane grater.)
- Add all other ingredients to the bowl and stir together with a whisk (or you can use a food processor, but it’s not necessary.)
- Chill an hour or so before serving.
Notes
I only use Daisy full-fat sour cream and full-fat mayo for this recipe but if you prefer to make a lower-fat version of the recipe you can definitely use reduced fat sour cream and mayo.
My Grandma always used Bon Appetit Seasoning for this. When that was discontinued I started making it with Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link), which is almost identical in flavor.
This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Nutritional information doesn’t include vegetables and is calculated on 1/4 cup serving size.
Recipe from my Grandma Denny, who was a wonderful cook!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 245Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is great for low-carb diets.Eat with low-carb vegetables like celery, sugar snap peas, jicama, bell pepper strips, radishes, broccoli, or cauliflower for low-carb diets. If you’re making this for the original South Beach Diet the Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip variation above is better for South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Kalyn was making this dip recipe long before the existence of the internet, and it was first posted on this site in 2005 (probably without a single photo in those days.) The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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