When it was tweeted that the addition of fennel to my white bean soup was revelatory (my word here—always be selling!), I was immediately struck by the desire to combine them in a dish where they co-starred. To me, they’re a natural pairing, with white beans a beautiful canvas for the hearty complexity of fennel.

The first idea I had was to make a dip, which is what I did. This is a great alternative to making hummus for a get-together, if you’re sick of making hummus, with an earthy taste and look. Roasting fennel along with garlic in a generous amount of olive oil brings out a real beauty. I made this with fresh white beans grown here in Puerto Rico, but it would work with canned beans as well. As always, this is a base method—go with your gut!

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