Snack happy with this Vegan White Bean Dip topped with fresh tomatoes and basil! This flavorful dip comes together in minutes and can be made in advance for an easy appetizer without the fuss!
Thanks to my overly boisterous basil plant, I can’t make enough basil recipes right now. I’m plowing though pesto pizza, pasta, and veggies, and even pouring my tasty basil dressing on everything in sight.
As fast as I pick it though, I cannot for the life of me keep up with this plant. It’s borderline out of control and I’m loving every bit of it! It’s practically free basil at this point.
The only thing that grows as fast as my basil are my cherry tomatoes, so I whipped up this super luxe white bean dip to celebrate both.
Hearty cannellini beans are transformed into a luscious whipped spread flecked with garlic and herbs, then topped with sweet-as-candy ripe cherry tomatoes tossed with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh, fragrant basil. <— run on sentence for the sake of YUM!
As a bonus it’s…
- healthy
- vegetarian
- vegan
- gluten-free
- protein packed
- no-bake + no-cook
- good — it’s flipping good!
uh…. what are you waiting for?!
Vegan White Bean Dip
This easy breezy appetizer doubles as a healthy snack! It comes together in minutes and can be made/prepped in advance too. Pop leftovers in the fridge for an extra snack sesh or two throughout the week.
tips, tricks, and variations:
- garlic lovers: take things to the next level by roasting your garlic first. It’s a tad irresistible!
- You can use anything from your go-to Italian seasoning blend to a smattering of fresh herbs to flavor your bean dip. Have fun with it and let your tastebuds be your guide!
- A hearty swirl of pesto would be an amazing sub or addition to this dip!
- No fresh tomatoes? No problem! You could snag a can of jarred organic diced tomatoes or opt for a seasonal spin on the recipe, using what’s fresh at the moment. You’re also not limited to cherry tomatoes, use any variety you have on hand!
- Grape seed oil or avocado oil would also taste amazing blended with the white beans. A drizzle of good quality EVOO on top is extra yummy too if you have it! And a garlic infused olive oil on top? Ohmygooooosh even better! Let your tastebuds be your guide and have fun with this tasty vegan white bean dip!
Tomato Basil Vegan White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic (smashed and minced)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ tsp lemon zest
- 1 lemon, juiced (approx. 4 TBSP)
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1/8-1/4 tsp dried thyme or fresh if you have it!
- ¼ tsp salt plus extra to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- ¼ tsp paprika optional
- 2-3 tsp sweet balsamic glaze is a scrumptious addition to this dip! Love it so!
Instructions
- To take the bite out of the garlic and amplify the flavor, microwave 4 smashed + minced cloves 1/2 cup of olive oil. You can also sauté them stove-top.
- In a food processor, combine beans, lemon garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, thyme and pulse until well blended. For an even creamier dip, add some extra EVOO and blend.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, as well as any additional oregano… let your taste buds be your guide!
- Toss tomatoes and basil in a drizzle of EVOO and toss.
- Spread bean mixture onto a shallow bowl or plate and top with tomatoes and basil.
- Sprinkle with paprika and serve with freshly warmed pita bread, pita chips, and/or assorted veggies for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this tasty vegan white bean dip, let me know! Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation.
A hearty drizzle of balsamic glaze is a scrumptious addition to this dip, giving it a sweet and savory vibe we just can’t get enough of.
It’s bowl-licking good!
Confused….do,we use the garlic or just flavor the oil with it??
To make the garlic less harsh I like to slightly warm it in the oil. It’s like partially cooking it so it’s not this super strong raw garlic flavor but if you want more garlic “bite” you can just toss raw minced garlic in. Totally up to you!
This is such an easy dip to put together and love that you can spruce it up with a variety of flavors. The tomatoes are such a great addition, and I know the pesto (my fav) will taste fantastic. So glad I have cannellini beans to make this today!
Why thank you Sandra! Grab those white beans and get ready to rock!
I just LOVE what all the herbs and lemon do for this amazing dip! I served this as an appetizer and everyone loved it!
So stoked y’all enjoyed this easy peasy appetizer. Thanks Amanda!
I made this last night for an office party as we have several vegetarians so I like to always have something for them and like to mix it up. It was really good and went over well BUT I would like to say that it should be noted that the beans definitely need to be drained before processing! I didn’t and the end result was very soupy! I had to process 2 more 15oz cans {drained} to get the consistency of a dip the went well with pita bread. It made way more than I intended but the flavor of the soupy original version was so good, I didn’t want to throw it out. So, other than you need to drain the beans, it was really good and I will make it again. A nice alternative to hummus.
Thank you so much! I usually always write drained and rinsed next to my bean measurements and I cannot believe I didn’t this time! I am terribly sorry about that and I’ve fixed it now — thank you so much for popping back over to chat and pointing that out! I’m thrilled you loved the dip and the flavor! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this!! We love bean dip around here!!
I love this. Bring on all the garlic, and the basil and of course we can’t forget the cherry tomatoes.