Creamy Tuscan White Bean Dip
Bored with your usual hummus recipe? This easy bean dip goes way beyond average. With sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs and lemon and a whole head of roasted garlic this cannellini bean dip can be served at room temperature or warmed in the microwave with a basket of pita chips or crunchy crudité. Creamy Tuscan white bean dip is healthy and is great football game food.
You may have seen other tuscan white bean dip recipes or cannellini bean dip out in the blogosphere and they may sound pretty good to you. This one is better. Because this easy bean dip has several layers of flavor, starting with a whole head of sweet, roasted garlic. Roasting garlic is easy to do and just requires a smidge of olive oil, sprinkle of salt and a little time in a hot oven to achieve a soft, spreadable consistency. Roasting transforms the sharp flavor of raw garlic to a mild, nutty, lip-smacking goodness.
The second layer of flavor comes from fresh rosemary, thyme and sage, bloomed in hot oil to release their aroma and oils without becoming sharp and adds a fuller, rounder flavor profile unlike so many one-note cannellini bean dip recipes.
Table of Contents
How To Make Cannellini Bean Dip:
- Slice the garlic crosswise to expose the individual cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Wrap the garlic in tin foil and roast in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
- While garlic is roasting, chop the herbs and heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan until it’s hot, but not smoking.
- Turn off the heat and immediately add the herbs (they will sizzle at first and then subside.
- Drain cannellini beans but DO NOT RINSE THEM.
- Transfer beans to a food processor and pulse several times.
- Add the herbs and oil and pulse to combine.
- Remove the garlic cloves from their papery skins and add them to the beans. Process until smooth.
- Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes and add to the Tuscan White Bean Dip, pulse to combine.
How To Serve Creamy Tuscan White Bean Dip
- Cannellini bean dip can be served immediately or can be covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.
- Best served at room temperature or warmed for 30-40 seconds in the microwave.
- Transfer easy bean dip to a serving dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs.
- Serve with pita chips and or assorted crudité for your next party or for healthy football game food.
More savory dips and snacks you might like:
- Easy Baked Bacon Cheese Chile Dip
- Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Salsa
- Black Bean Dip
- Savory Southern Deviled Ham
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White Bean Dip
INGREDIENTS:
FOR ROASTED GARLIC:
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- pinch kosher salt
FOR WHITE BEAN DIP:
- 29 ounces Cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
- ¾ teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- ½ teaspoon fresh chopped sage
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- head of roasted garlic peeled
- ¼ cup oil packed, sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
OPTIONAL GARNISH:
- drizzle of good olive oil
- sprinkle of fresh herbs
DIRECTIONS:
MAKE THE ROASTED GARLIC
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Use a sharp knife and trim the top ⅓” – ½” of the head of garlic. Place the garlic in a small piece of tin foil (use the trimmed pieces as well) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Seal up the tin foil and roast for 30 minutes or until garlic is very tender. Remove from oven and let the garlic rest until it’s cool enough to handle. Remove the garlic cloves from the peel and set aside.
MAKE THE WHITE BEAN DIP:
- Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium high heat until the oil starts to moire and is hot but not smoking. Turn off the heat and immediately add the chopped herbs. The oil will sizzle because of the freshness of the herbs. Swirl the pan so that the herbs are completely coated with the hot oil and set aside.
- Drain the cannellini beans in a mesh strainer, but DO NOT RINSE THE BEANS. Discard the bean liquid. Transfer the beans to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the beans resemble a chunky dip.
- To the bean mixture, add the oil and herb mixture, kosher salt, and lemon juice. Pulse 4 to 5 times to incorporate the ingredients. Add the garlic and lemon juice and pulse to puree the roasted garlic.
- Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and pulse 2-3 times to combine.
- Transfer the white bean dip to a serving bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the dip and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve with pita chips or fresh crudite.
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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Excellent!!! Very flavorful! Just tried the recipe for the first time & made it per the recipe. Making it to take to a holiday celebration of non meat eaters. The hot oil & herbs make the dish, so don’t skip. Tip: I tossed the whole thyme sprigs into the hot oil along w/ the chopped rosemary & sage. Then, once the oil had cooled, took out the thyme sprigs & used my fingers to rub the sprigs to remove the fried leaves into the dish. Much easier & less time consuming than to remove the leaves in advance. I’ll definitely make this again!
This is delicious and creamy. I also added four fresh garlic cloves for tanginess.
Just made this recipe. It’s delicious!! Infusing the warm olive oil with herbs beforehand added so much flavor. I was out of sun-dried tomatoes, though, so I used some good quality organic tomato paste instead. I Will definitely make this again!
So glad you enjoyed it Nicole!
Can this dip be made ahead or frozen?
You can make it a day or so ahead. Refrigerate the dip until just about ready to serve and then bring it to room temperature or warm it slightly in the microwave to make the flavors more robust. I don’t see why you couldn’t freeze it — it would probably last for a month when frozen in a sealed container.
This looks so creamy and delicious! I love the entire bulb of roasted garlic! This is right up my alley! I can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks for sharing!
Totally using this recipe for the upcoming big game, Lisa! It looks scrumptious!
Thanks, Eden. I hope you enjoy it!
I love hummus but this looks way better. The roasted garlic sounds delicious with the herbs and perfect for dipping.
Roasting the garlic for this dip is bound to give it SO much flavour! Definitely a party pleaser!
Oh wow, this looks amazing!! Cannellini beans are my favourite beans and I always have loads in the house. I could eat this dip by the spoonful and I definitely would not be sharing it!!