Vegan White Bean Dip

This tasty, versatile white bean dip is healthy, creamy, and goes with just about everything. It comes together in minutes in a food processor, no cooking required, making it one of the easiest appetizers you can put together on short notice.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Cannellini beans. Any large white bean works well — great northern or navy beans are good substitutes if that's what's in your pantry.
• Fresh lemon juice. Brightens the whole dip and keeps it from tasting flat — bottled juice works in a pinch, but fresh makes a real difference here.
• Garlic. Minced fine in the food processor before the beans go in, so it distributes evenly rather than leaving pockets of raw garlic bite.
• Ground cumin. Adds a warm, earthy note that keeps the dip from tasting one-note.
• Hot pepper sauce. A few drops add background heat without making the dip spicy — leave it out or swap in a pinch of chili powder if you prefer.
• Extra-virgin olive oil. Just a tablespoon adds richness and helps the dip blend into a silkier texture than beans alone would give.

Variations

• Add roasted red peppers. Blend in ½ cup of well-drained roasted red peppers for a smoky, slightly sweet twist.
• Make it herby instead of spicy. Skip the hot sauce and add a tablespoon of minced fresh dill for a cool, refreshing variation.
• Add fresh herbs. A handful of parsley or basil blended right in turns this into more of an herbed white bean spread.
• Make it smoky. A pinch of smoked paprika, blended in or dusted on top, adds real depth.
• Make it a sandwich spread. Thin it slightly less than usual and use it in place of mayonnaise or hummus on a veggie sandwich.

Tips for the Best White Bean Dip

• Mince the garlic first. Processing it alone for a few seconds before adding the beans keeps it from leaving large, sharp-tasting chunks.
• Scrape down the bowl as needed. This helps the dip blend evenly smooth rather than leaving a chunky layer at the bottom.
• Thin it if needed. If the dip seems too thick, a tablespoon or two of water loosens it up without diluting the flavor.
• Chill before serving. An hour or two in the fridge lets the flavors meld and firms the dip up slightly.

Make Ahead & Storage

This dip keeps in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for about a week, which makes it a great make-ahead option for entertaining. It doesn't freeze well, so if you'd rather make less at a time, the recipe halves easily.

How to Serve

Serve with red, green, and yellow pepper strips, sliced cucumbers, baby carrots, and celery sticks. It also makes a great spread on toasted whole-grain or pumpernickel bread, or a layer inside your next veggie burger, alongside homemade crackers.

Recipe

White Bean Dip

4.75 from 4 votes

You will love this tasty, versatile White Bean Dip. Serve it with your favorite dippers for a healthy appetizer!

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Servings: 6

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Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic see note
• 15 oz large white beans ex. cannellini; drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice preferably fresh
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 drops hot pepper sauce or ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• optional garnish chopped fresh parsley, black olives, paprika

Instructions

• Use a food processor to mince your garlic cloves. You can do this by dropping the garlic into your processor's tube with a grating plate attached.
• Add beans, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce to your food processor bowl.
• Process until smooth and creamy—about 1–2 minutes—scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the mixture is too thick, thin with 2 tablespoons of water.
• Transfer the white bean dip to a serving bowl. Cover and chill for 1–2 hours before serving. Garnish with parsley, olives, and paprika.

Notes

If you don't like the taste of raw garlic, chop the cloves and sauté them in a little olive oil until golden. This will help to mellow out the strong garlic flavor. After sautéing, you can simply combine them with the other ingredients in the food processor.

Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)

Calories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 7gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 221mgPotassium: 412mgFiber: 5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 3mg

Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.

Norene Gilletz is a Canadian food writer and is the leading author of kosher cookbooks in Canada. Visit her extensive food site Gourmania.

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