Falafel chips and a white-bean dip recipe

A new organic chip is on the market made with chickpeas, corn, and black beans. I read about Flamous Organics Falafel Chips last week in the New York Times and couldn’t wait to try the brand that calls itself the “world’s first and only falafel chip created for hummus dip.”

I was intrigued and hurried to Whole Foods to buy a bag ($5.19). I’ve been munching on them ever since. I got the “spicy” version, which bursts with black-pepper seasoning. The regular has more cumin flavor, I’m told.

Last weekend, I paired the chips with a white-bean dip from Everyday Italian by Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis. She calls the dip the “Italian version of hummus.” It’s smooth and creamy and works perfectly with the falafel chips.

Here’s an adapted version of the easy recipe, including Giada’s pita chips (though I recommend the falafel chips). It’s great for any cookouts this summer.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

4 pita breads, split horizontally in half
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 ¼ teaspoons freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1 (15-ounce) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup loosely packed, fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
1 garlic clove

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut each pita half into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges evenly over a large baking sheet. Brush the pita wedges with 2 tablespoons of the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano and 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Bake for 4 minutes; then turn the pita wedges over and bake until they are crisp and golden about 3 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Pulse on and off until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually mix in the remaining 1/3 cup of oil until the mixture is creamy. Season the purée with more salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the purée to a small bowl and serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside. (The pita wedges and bean purée can be made 1 day ahead. Store the pita wedges airtight at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the bean purée.)