Light, zesty, fresh and utterly delicious, this super creamy white bean dip takes less than 5 minutes to make AND uses just 5 easy to find ingredients. Serve with pita chips, a crudité platter or pile meatballs on top – this is a versatile dip the whole family will love.
I love hummus, but this white bean dip is a quicker, lighter version that still delivers a similar flavour in minutes. Chickpeas need quite a bit of help to become super smooth – they need to be cooked down until very soft before blending – whereas white beans can go straight from the jar to the food processor and create an incredibly smooth dip.
White beans need lots of fresh, bright seasoning to help them sing, so this recipe is loaded with lots of lemon and garlic which I wouldn’t skimp on – it makes for a wonderful zesty dip perfect for spring or summer. The dip is actually equally delicious heated where it becomes a white bean puree. Use it as a base for grilled meat or veggies and watch it transform into a cosy loaded bowl, perfect for cold weather.
It’s also incredibly versatile and a great base recipe – you could throw in some fresh or dried herbs (thyme, basil or oregano would be lovely), chilli flakes or a spicy paste like gochujang to switch up the flavour to make it your own.
Ingredients
You only need five easy to find ingredients for this recipe.
- White beans. I’m using butter beans, but you can use cannellini beans, haricot beans, navy beans or lima beans here. Go for a high-quality bean if you can – canned is fine, but I prefer jarred beans for the best flavour and texture. Bold Bean Co is my go-to when I’m in the UK.
- Lemon. Ideally you want to use fresh lemon juice here, if possible. Lemon is a key flavour in the dip and fresh is always best.
- Ground cumin. I love the subtle warmth the cumin brings to the dip, but you can leave it out if you don’t have any.
You’ll also need a food processor for this recipe, or you could use a blender. If you’re using a blender, you may need to add a little more olive oil or water, just to get things moving.
How to make it
Get all your ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, then blitz for a couple of minutes, until super smooth and creamy. And it’s as easy as that!
Drizzle with more olive oil and scatter over fresh mint leaves and chilli flakes, then dig in.
Three ways to serve the dip
- Serve with a selection of your favourite chips, crackers or crudites. I love it with pita chips!
- Pile it onto flatbreads then top with sweet chilli halloumi or honey harissa halloumi.
- Use it as the base for grilled meat or meatballs – try pairing it with miso grilled chicken, Greek chicken meatballs, lamb koftas or Asian style meatballs.
Got a question?
You can store it in the fridge for 5 days in a covered container. I’ll often make this on a Sunday to enjoy throughout the week!
Ideally, use a high quality jarred white bean for the best flavour. White beans are mild and can sometimes be bland, so choosing a high quality version will help the dip taste the bes and have the best creamy consistency. When I’m in the UK, I love using Bold Bean Co. You can use cannellini beans, butter beans, navy beans or haricot beans.
Like this recipe? Here are more dips you might enjoy
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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5 Minute Creamy White Bean Dip
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Light, zesty, fresh and utterly delicious, this super creamy white bean dip takes less than 5 minutes to make AND uses just 5 easy to find ingredients. Serve with pita chips, a crudité platter or pile meatballs on top – this is a versatile dip the whole family will love.
Ingredients
For the dip –
- 450g/1lb white beans (drained weight)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
To serve (optional) –
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- A handful of chopped mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes or dukkah
- Pita chips or sourdough crackers
Instructions
- Blitz the dip. Add all the drained white beans, 3 garlic cloves (no need to chop them up), 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, the juice of 1 lemon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz on high for a couple of minutes, until a super smooth dip forms. Taste, season with a little more salt if you think it needs it.
- Top and serve. Spoon the dip onto a serving plate or into a bowl, then drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the chopped mint leaves and the chilli flakes or dukkah on top. Serve with your favourite crackers and enjoy!
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES: You want to make sure you’re using a high quality white bean here. White beans can be quite bland, so going with a high quality product (ideally jarred) is going to make this dip taste the best. You can use butter beans, haricot, cannellini or navy beans. In the UK, I love using Bold Bean Co. Leave out the ground cumin if you don’t have any – I love the subtle warmth it brings, but it’ll still be great without it.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The dip will keep really well for 5 days, stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Enjoy with your favourite chips, crisps or crackers (I adore this with pita chips or sourdough crackers), or use it as a base for grilled meat or veggies. I love piling grilled miso chicken, sweet chilli halloumi, honey harissa halloumi or lamb koftas on top.
- Prep Time: 5
- Category: dips
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Keywords: white bean dip, cannellini bean dip
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