I’ve always thought of bean dip and onion dip as two distinct genres, which was foolish, as it turns out. In Romania, you’ll find fasole bătută, a white bean puree topped with tomato-and paprika-enriched caramelized onions. It’s often eaten with sausages, but—like any dip—is pretty delicious on the usual dippers, like crackers, bread, chips and crudités.

It’s not surprising that a marriage of creamy white beans—pureed until they take on an airy, whipped texture—and jammy, extra savory caramelized onions would be delicious. What is surprising, however, is how pantry-friendly the recipe is, how few ingredients it requires, and how quickly it comes together.

It’s so pantry-friendly, I was able to whip up a batch during a snow storm, when a trip to the store (or anywhere) was not an option. As a mixture of hunger and ennui set in, I scrolled through our most recently published recipes, looking for something that would distract me. Romanian Caramelized Onion “Hummus” was it.

I read the ingredients list, mentally ticking off everything I had in my pantry. Can of white beans? Check. An onion? Of course. Some sort of neutral oil? I had that too! Garlic? Tomato paste? Sweet paprika? Yes, yes and yes! The only thing I didn’t have was fresh dill. I decided to forge ahead anyway.

Heat your beans for a better bean dip

Rather than dump a couple of cans of room-temperature beans into the food processor and whir them around, we simmer the beans on the stove to ensure the best texture and flavor. Not only does the heat soften their skins and help them break down more readily, it also "opens their pores," priming them for maximum flavor absorption.

Speaking of flavor, we toss a few cloves of garlic into the bean bath so they soften and mellow, then blend it all together in the food processor to make a savory puree that's rich with garlic flavor. Once smooth, a few more spoonfuls of oil are added in a thin stream so it emulsifies, turning thick and creamy.

For best results, be sure to process the beans (and garlic) while still hot to achieve the right consistency. And don’t try to rush things by shortening the beans’ time in the food processor—you’re not just breaking down the beans, you’re aerating them.

Flavor your caramelized onions

Everything is better with a tangled mass of caramelized onions on top. Flavoring the onions only improves things further. We start by cooking thinly sliced onions in shimmering oil, until they’re soft and starting to brown. Then it’s time for the flavor bombs. Tomato paste, cooked with the softened onions until they take on a brick red hue, adds a note of deeply sweet umami. Sweet paprika adds a slightly bitter fruitiness.

Once the onion mixture starts to stick to the pan, water is added to release any browned bits so no flavor is left behind, then reduced until jammy-sweet.

Transfer the bean puree to a wide bowl, then dollop the onions on top and finish with fresh dill. Do things the Romanian way and serve with sausages, or eat it like you would any dip—with your favorite carbohydrate (I like crusty bread).

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Claire Lower

Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.