Vegan White Bean Dip is a Mediterranean-inspired spread seasoned with garlic, lemon, and oregano. Serve it with raw vegetables, crackers, or crostini for an impressive appetizer your guests will love. Easy to make in 15 minutes!
If you're looking to an alternative to traditional hummus made with chickpeas, olive oil, and sesame seeds, this Vegan White Bean Dip is for you. It's super creamy and flavorful, and is made without added oil.
It's a great choice for easy entertaining since it can be served either right away or made in advance.
It's also fantastic for meal prep since you can enjoy it throughout the week with a variety of foods like grilled vegetables and chickpea rice pilaf or use it as a sandwich spread.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's full of flavor yet only requires 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and is oil-free.
- You can make it in a food processor in 15 minutes.
- It can be served in a variety of ways as a dip, sauce, or spread.
Ingredients
White beans: Look for beans labeled Cannellini, white kidney beans, or Great Northern beans.
Tahini: If you find prepared tahini too bitter for your liking, you can substitute toasted sesame seeds instead using the method outlined in my recipe for hummus with sesame seeds.
Sumac: While optional, I highly recommend sprinkling some ground sumac on top of the white bean dip, and other dips like savory pumpkin hummus, for added lemony flavor and a dash of color. And it's a great seasoning to keep on hand for using in Balela bean salad, roasted fall vegetable medley, and any time you want to add a fruity tang to dishes.
Sumac
- Traditionally sprinkled on hummus for a tart, lemony flavor with notes of sour cherry and cranberry.
- Crafted in small batches in Turkey.
- Flatpacks ship for free.
Variations
This vegan white bean dip can be varied to suit your tastes.
- For a spicy version, add some crushed red pepper flakes or harissa.
- Give it extra citrusy flavor by adding some of the lemon zest along with the juice.
- Change up the herbs by using Italian seasoning, dill, or rosemary in place of the oregano.
- Add toppings like toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs, or chopped olives.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Amy's tip
Be sure to reserve two tablespoons of the liquid from the can of beans before draining them. It's not necessary to rinse them.
Instructions
- Add the beans, reserved bean liquid, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor.
- Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
Serving suggestions
Vegan White Bean Dip pairs well with most fresh vegetables including carrots, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower. You can also serve it with crackers, chips, and pita bread.
It's also delicious drizzled on top of cooked veggies like roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots. Or add a dollop to baked potatoes in place of butter or sour cream.
You can also make crostini by toasting sliced baguette, spreading some dip on top, and garnishing with fresh parsley or cilantro.
Storing and freezing
Leftover dip can be covered and refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Refer to the FDA Food Storage Guidelines for more information.
Recipe FAQs
Navy beans are a variety of white beans. Others include Great Northern beans, lima beans, and cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans). For the most part, they can be used interchangeably in recipes.
A medium lemon yields approximately 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
More vegan white bean recipes
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.
📋 Recipe
Vegan White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 can white beans, (Cannellini beans, white kidney beans, or Great Northern beans) drained, reserve 2 tablespoons of liquid from the can of beans
- 1 Tablespoon tahini
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
- sumac, for garnish (optional)
- assorted vegetables, crackers, bread, etc., for serving
Instructions
- Add the beans, 2 tablespoons reserved bean liquid, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor.
- Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed.
- Enjoy immediately or transfer the dip to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Before serving, give the dip a stir and sprinkle with a little sumac, if desired. Serve with assorted vegetables, crackers, and/or bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
G
Wonderful dip! I did add about 1/2 tsp of maple syrup to balance the bitterness of the tahini and only used a potato masher which produced a chunkier texture that can also be used as a sandwich spread. I like that this needs no mayo for creaminess!
Amy Katz
Great suggestions, thank you!