Skinny Quinoa Veggie Dip

Week 366. Spring 2023. I am 40 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like fresh herbs and possibility and this is my life. This is the life I built.

The garden is just planted, full of promise, and I stood in it this week and thought about dirt and time and the way both of them turn nothing into something if you're patient enough.

Mason is 12 and reading everything he can find and examining the world under a microscope with the intensity of a tenured researcher.

Lily is 10 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.

I made asparagus soup this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.

The asparagus soup was already gone by the time I sat down to write this, but the spirit of it — that fresh-herb, something-is-growing feeling — stayed with me all week. This Skinny Quinoa Veggie Dip lives in the same neighborhood: bright, simple, made from things pulled out of the earth, the kind of food that tastes like it’s doing something good for you while you eat it. I made a big batch, set it on the counter, and watched Mason and Lily circle back to it all afternoon like it was their own discovery.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Pita chips, sliced vegetables, or crackers, for serving

Instructions

Cook the quinoa. Combine quinoa and water (or broth) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12–15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
Blend the base. In a food processor or blender, combine white beans, Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and smoked paprika. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fold in the vegetables. Transfer the blended base to a large bowl. Fold in the cooked quinoa, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and parsley until evenly combined.
Chill and rest. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The dip can be made up to a day ahead — it gets better as it sits.
Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of paprika, and a few sprigs of fresh parsley. Serve with pita chips, sliced cucumbers, carrots, or your favorite crackers.

Nutrition (per serving)

Skinny Quinoa Veggie Dip — The Garden in a Bowl