Italian White Bean Dip

This vegan Italian White Bean Dip is a healthy Mediterranean appetizer! It's made with cannellini beans, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs.

When it comes to healthy appetizers, it doesn't get any easier than this Cannellini Bean Dip! It's ready in five minutes, made with only a few ingredients, and packed with flavor.

It's always a good idea to have a few quick and easy appetizer recipes on hand to whip up during the holiday season or if you need a dish to share on a moment's notice. This bean dip is just the thing to make if you've just received a last minute party invitation.

One reason this dip is so easy to prepare is that it's made using canned beans. I always have a few cans of cannellini beans in my cupboard. Most of the time, I add them to homemade soups, but it turns out they can be used for so much more.

This dip is made by pureeing the canned white beans in a food processor along with some garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and olive oil. It's blended until smooth and creamy and perfect served with some toasted crostini or crackers.

This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, and dairy free, making it a healthy addition to any holiday or party appetizer menu.

Jump to:

• Ingredients For Italian White Bean Dip
• What Are White Beans?
• Do The Beans Need To Be Rinsed First?
• How To Make White Bean Dip
• How To Achieve The Best Texture
• How To Adjust The Flavor
• How To Make Crostini
• What To Serve With White Bean Dip
• How Long Does Bean Dip Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Italian White Bean Dip

Ingredients For Italian White Bean Dip

As mentioned, it only takes a few ingredients to prepare this dip and you've probably got most of them on hand.

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 2 15.5 oz. cans Cannellini Beans
• 2-4 cloves Garlic
• 2-3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (equals 1 large lemon)
• ½ tsp. Italian Seasoning
• ½ tsp. Kosher Salt
• ¼ tsp. Pepper
• ¼ tsp. Red Chili Flakes (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Gluten Free Baguette (or regular baguette if not gluten free) (optional)

One of my favorite ways to serve this white bean dip is with some crostini or toasted baguette, but this is completely optional.

It can also be served with crackers, raw veggies, or as a sandwich spread.

What Are White Beans?

White beans are a broad category of beans (or legumes) that are white in color. The category includes varieties such as Cannellini Beans, Great Northern Beans, Navy Beans, and Lima Beans.

This recipe is made with Cannellini Beans (also known as White Kidney Beans). Cannellini Beans are similar to Great Northern Beans, but cannellini beans are larger in size and have slightly tougher skins.

Cannellini beans hold up well when added to soups and stews. They have a creamy texture and slightly nutty flavor. Cannellini beans are easily found in the canned foods section of any grocery store.

Great Northern Beans are slightly smaller and more delicate than cannellini beans. They are often used interchangeably. If you can't find cannellini beans, feel free to sub 2 15.5 oz. cans of great northern beans when making this Italian white bean dip.

Do The Beans Need To Be Rinsed First?

The beans do not need to be rinsed before making this white bean dip.

I do recommend draining the beans first so that the dip does not become too watery, but it is not necessary to rinse them.

How To Make White Bean Dip

This is one of the easiest appetizers out there. It requires no cooking (aside from toasting the baguette) and takes about five minutes to prepare.

It's made by placing all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulsing a few times. Olive oil is drizzled into the food processor while pureeing until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

1. Start by peeling 2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on how garlicky you prefer your dip). Cut the garlic cloves into chunks.
2. Drain 2 15.5 oz. cans of cannellini beans (or great northern beans). There is no need to rinse the beans.
3. Place the drained beans into a food processor.
4. Add the chopped garlic, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, ½ tsp. Italian seasoning, ½ tsp. kosher salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, and ¼ tsp. red chili flakes (optional). Securely place the top on the food processor and pulse a few times.
5. Slowly pour 2 Tbsp. of olive oil through the opening on the top of the food processor while pureeing the dip. The dip should become smooth and creamy.
6. Taste the dip and adjust the flavors as needed. Feel free to add a bit more lemon juice, salt, or pepper if needed. Pulse the food processor each time additional ingredients are added to ensure a smooth texture.

How To Achieve The Best Texture

A smooth and creamy texture is optimal for dips like this one. It doesn't need to be completely smooth, but it should ideally be easily spreadable on toasted bread or crackers.

• If you find that the dip is too thick or pasty, simply add a bit more lemon juice or water to thin it out.
• Alternately, you can add a bit more olive oil. Make sure to pulse the food processor after adding any additional ingredients to ensure that all the flavors are evenly distributed.

How To Adjust The Flavor

The flavors can be customized a bit according to your tastes.

• Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic, depending on how garlicky you like your dip. I recommend using 2-4 cloves of garlic to make it. 2 cloves of garlic will give you a mild garlic flavor and 3-4 cloves is great if you love a garlicky dip.
• The addition of red chili flake is optional. Feel free to add them for a little extra kick, but they may be omitted if you prefer.
• The amount of lemon juice can be adjusted depending on how lemony you prefer the dip. I recommend starting with 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice and bumping it up to 3 Tbsp. for a stronger lemon flavor.
• Feel free to adjust the salt and pepper levels as needed.

How To Make Crostini

The word crostini means 'little crusts' in Italian. Crostini are great because they're sort of a blank canvas for flavor.

It's made by cutting a baguette into slices, brushing the bread with olive oil, and toasting in the oven until the bread is golden brown and crusty.

It only takes a few minutes to prepare crostini and they're great served along with smooth and creamy dips like this one.

As mentioned, this step is optional. The dip may be served with crackers or any variety of bread if you prefer.

1. To make the crostini, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut 1-2 gluten free baguettes (or regular baguettes if not gluten free) into slices. Place the sliced baguette onto a large baking sheet.
3. Brush some olive oil over each slice of bread.
4. Place the baking sheet in the oven and toast for 6-8 minutes, or until the bread is slightly crispy and golden brown.
5. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and set aside.

What To Serve With White Bean Dip

This cannellini bean dip is great because it's incredibly versatile in terms of how to serve it.

As mentioned, one of my favorite ways to serve it is as an appetizer along with some crostini or toasted, sliced bread. The smooth and creamy texture is perfect slathered onto the crispy bread.

It can also be served with your favorite crackers, pita bread, or raw veggies like carrots, celery, radishes, or bell peppers as part of a crudité platter.

It's also delicious as a sandwich spread. The bright flavors of the dip are great on a sandwich or toast topped with sliced veggies, sprouts, or sliced deli meats.

This bean dip may be garnished with some fresh minced herbs such as thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley, or chives for extra color and flavor.

Alternately, you can garnish it with any of your favorite Mediterranean-inspired toppings, such as minced roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, olives, or chopped nuts.

Looking for more party appetizers? Don't miss these recipes!

• Smoked Salmon Dill Ricotta Crostini
• Feta Walnut Stuffed Dates
• Mushroom Gruyere Tartlets
• Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Asparagus
• Gruyere Prosciutto Tartlets
• Spiced Maple Roasted Nuts
• BBQ Turkey Meatballs
• Rosemary Roasted Almonds

How Long Does Bean Dip Last In The Fridge?

This Italian white bean dip may be stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

It can also be made the day ahead if serving for a party. Make sure to store the dip in an airtight container in the fridge to prevent it from drying out.

Can It Be Frozen?

For optimal taste and texture, I do not recommend freezing this dip.

Love appetizer dips? Check out these recipes!

• Smoky Baba Ghanoush
• Kalamata Olive Tapenade
• Roasted Butternut Squash Dip
• Cold Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Mushroom Tapenade
• Poblano Avocado Dip
• Cashew Cilantro Sauce

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