This white bean dip is a creamy cannellini and butter bean hummus flavoured with sun-dried tomatoes. Made from store cupboard ingredients and ready in minutes, it's perfect as a dip, spread or mezze dish.
Browse all my easy & delicious snack recipes to find more tasty dips like this.
🔍 Recipe Snapshot:
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: 175 kcal per serving
- 🔥 Cook Method: No cooking involved
- ❄️ Frozen Option: ❌ Do not freeze
- 👩🍳 Flavour Profile: Creamy, tangy.
- 🥗 Pairs Well With: Breadsticks, crudités, falafel
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Why I Love This White Bean Dip
- Appearance: The salmon-pink colour of this butter bean dip immediately grabs attention.
- Taste: Creamy beans and tangy & intense sun-dried tomato combine to create a dip with plenty of savoury flavour.
- Unique: Steer yourself away from the ubiquitous salsa or soured cream & chive. Opt for this white bean hummus and re-ignite the flames of love for simple dips.
- Versatile: Not just for dipping, you can use this white been dip as a spread as well.
Ingredients Notes
White beans: Use either butter beans or cannellini beans when making this white bean hummus. My personal preference is butter beans as they create a slightly creamier, softer dip. But if butter beans are not your thing, then cannellini beans will be fine too. You may also use a 50:50 split.
Sun-dried tomatoes: Use the variety jarred in oil rather than the dehydrated ones.
Tahini: A few spoonfuls enhances the rich & creamy nature of this cannellini & butter bean dip and lends nutty notes to the final flavour. It also boosts fibre and provides a boost of plant-based protein to compliment those provided by the beans. If you are using just butter beans, it transforms the dip into butter bean hummus too.
Author Note: Best White Beans
Tinned beans are fine but if budget allows then jarred beans from The Bold Bean Co. elevates this dish further. The beans are softer than the tinned variety, leading to an even smoother, creamier dip.
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How To Make White Bean Dip (Step-By-Step Instructions)
- Step 1: Drain the white beans from the canning liquid (reserve the liquid)and add to the bowl of a food processor, along with the other ingredients and 1 tablespoon of the reserved canning liquid.
- Step 2: Blend until smooth. Taste and add more seasoning pepper if desired.
Storage Instructions
Cover with food-wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days, bringing out 1 hour before serving to take the chill off.
This dip is not suitable for freezing.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the thickness: If the dip is too thick add an extra tablespoon of canning liquid and blend again to create a looser texture.
- Season with caution: Sun-dried tomatoes can already contain plenty of salt so you may not need to add much more. Taste before adding in extra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is. All ingredients in this recipe are naturally vegan.
Both! Butter beans and cannellini beans are both types of white beans, hence the title white bean dip. If, however, you use 100% butter beans this dip can also be classed as butter bean hummus.
You can do but you must cook them properly before proceeding to make your dip. I use canned or jarred beans to speed up the process.
Yes, you can. This will significant alter the flavour and colour of your dip/ hummus and you may need to add in some extra seasoning. You can add in a handful of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice to amplify the flavour if you are not including the sun-dried tomatoes.
Variations
- Chilli white bean hummus: Add a 1-2 teaspoons of chilli oil or a few dried chilli flakes to give your dip a kick of spice.
- Make it chunky: For a less smooth dip reserve ⅓ of the beans and continue with the recipe. Once the dip has been whizzed up in the processor add the reserved beans and pule 2-3 times until they begin to break down but still have plenty of shape.
- Add salad onion: Stir through 2 foinely sliced spring onions once the dip is made.
- Get herby: Stir in a tablespoon of finely chopped chives, parsley or thyme.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve your cannellini and butter bean dip just as it is with fresh, crunchy vegetables such as blanched asparagus or finely sliced carrots, a little stack of seeded breadsticks or some sliced pitta bread.
- Use it as a spread in place of butter or mayonnaise in sandwiches.
- Pile it onto toast or bagels and top with sliced avocado & dukkah or seeds.
- Serve it as butter bean hummus with falafels & wraps
- Make it part of a mezze table alongside olives, stuffed vine leaves, tabbouleh, and breads for scooping.
More Tasty Dips
Have you made this cannellini and butter bean dip? Please let me know if you enjoyed it by leaving a review. I love to hear from my readers.
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📖 Recipe
White Bean Dip (Butter Bean Hummus with Sun-dried Tomatoes)
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 250 g Cooked white beans (tinned/ jarred) (butter beans or cannellini work well) the liquid from the tin
- 90 g Sundried tomatoes (packed in oil but drained)
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil (or oil from the tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons Tahini
- 1 Garlic clove - peeled
- 2 tablespoons Tomato puree
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the white beans from the canning liquid (reserve the liquid).
- Pile all ingredients into a food processor, along with 1 tablespoon of the reserved canning liquid.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and add more seasoning pepper if desired.
- If the dip is too thick for your liking add an extra tablespoon of canning liquid and blend again
- Store in a covered pot in the fridge until required. Keeps for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Best beans: Tinned beans are fine but if budget allows then jarred beans from The Bold Bean Co. elevates this dish further. The beans are softer than the tinned variety, leading to an even smoother, creamier dip.
- Cannellini beans or butter beans: Use either butter beans or cannellini beans when making this white bean hummus. My personal preference is butter beans as they create a slightly creamier, softer dip. But if butter beans are not your thing, then cannellini beans will be fine too. You may also use a 50:50 split.
- Adjust the thickness: If the dip is too thick add an extra tablespoon of canning liquid and blend again to create a looser texture.
- Season with caution: Sun-dried tomatoes can already contain plenty of salt so you may not need to add much more. Taste before adding in extra.
Variations
- Chilli white bean hummus: Add a 1-2 teaspoons of chilli oil or a few dried chilli flakes to give your dip a kick of spice.
- Make it chunky: For a less smooth dip reserve ⅓ of the beans and continue with the recipe. Once the dip has been whizzed up in the processor add the reserved beans and pule 2-3 times until they begin to break down but still have plenty of shape.
- Add salad onion: Stir through 2 finely sliced spring onions once the dip is made.
- Get herby: Stir in a tablespoon of finely chopped chives, parsley or thyme.
Julia says
Whaat? Beans and sun-dried tomato dip? Haven't tried this flavor combo but I bet it tastes amazing!
Jane Saunders says
Thanks Julia. It's definitely a good combination. Nice and punchy.
Nicola @ Happy Healthy Motivated says
A protein-packed veggie dip that's not loaded with cheese? Yes please!!
Jane Saunders says
I know! The cheesy ones really suck me in, but they are not especially healthy. At least this one is reasonable on that score, as long as it's served with healthy stuff 😉
Amy | The Cook Report says
I really want to start making more of my own dips and this one looks like a good place to start!
Jane Saunders says
Do it, Amy. You won't look back. I need to make my own more often for definite.
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says
A really great recipe, with so much goodness and taste. Something I could make and have in the fridge for a handy and quick lunch.
Jane Saunders says
Definitely - healthy protein, bags of flavour and a fun thing to have when the munchies kick in.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
This looks sup healthy and perfect to keep in the fridge for snacking on
Jane Saunders says
Thanks Bintu - slightly addicted to opening the fridge door when it's in there though 🙂