“Everything” White Bean Dip

Watch out hummus. You officially have some competition, and the new dip in town doesn’t require tahini.

White beans (navy or cannellini) are great for making dip because their flavor is so neutral. You can add just about anything and make it taste good. I kept the base of this dip simple with lemon, garlic, and smoked paprika, then left all the major flavor responsibility to the crunchy toppings. If you don’t want to purchase the ingredients for the crunchy, flakey toppings, you flavor the dip by stirring in some herbs, like thyme, rosemary, or even fresh parsley or cilantro. It’s very flexible and you won’t have to go searching for tahini!

You can use this dip for crackers, pitas, or vegetables, OR use it as a sandwich spread. Did I mention that it’s versatile?

One more note. Fresh garlic is awesome, as we all know, but sometimes I don’t like to breathe dragon-fire garlic breath for 24 hours, so I use garlic powder instead of fresh. You can use one clove of fresh garlic in this recipe to replace the garlic powder listed. Also, I improvised on the topping a little bit. Traditional “everything” toppings include dehydrated garlic, but I forgot to buy it. :P So, I worked with what I had and added a pinch of red pepper flakes for fun. BECAUSE IMPROVISING IS FUN!

“Everything” White Bean Dip

4.84 from 6 votes

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"Everything" White Bean Dip

This White Bean Dip gets the "everything" treatment with a crunchy sprinkle of dehydrated onion and other spices. 

Total Cost $3.28 recipe / $0.66 serving

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 5 1/2 cup each

Ingredients

BEAN DIP

• 2-15 oz cans white beans (navy or cannellini) $2.18
• 1/4 cup olive oil $0.64
• 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice $0.09
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder $0.05
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika $0.05
• 1/2 tsp salt $0.05

EVERYTHING TOPPING

• 1/2 tsp dehydrated onion flakes $0.05
• 1/2 tsp poppy seeds $0.05
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds $0.05
• Coarse ground pepper, 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill $0.05
• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional) $0.02

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the white beans. Add the beans, olive oil, 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, and 2 Tbsp of water to a food processor. Process until smooth, adding a touch more water if needed. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired (I used 2 Tbsp, but I like it tart).
2. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping (dehydrated onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, pepper, red pepper flakes). Sprinkle some of the topping over the bean dip and replenish with more after the top layer has been eaten.

Step by Step Photos

Start by draining and rinsing two 15-ounce cans of white beans (navy or cannellini). Pour those into your food processor. My little food processor is awesome. It’s small, but it’s a work horse and it wasn’t very expensive (relatively speaking). This is the food processor that I have.

Also add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice (add more after tasting, if desired), 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika. Oh, also add a couple tablespoons of water to help get it going.

Process until smooth, adding a touch more water if needed. Give it a taste and see if you want more lemon juice (I used 2 Tbsp total). 

In a small bowl, stir together a 1/2 tsp dehydrated onion, 1/2 tsp poppy seeds, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, a generous dose of coarse ground pepper, and some red pepper flakes (if desired). 

After transferring the white bean dip to a bowl, add some of the crunchy toppings. After the top layer of dip has been eaten and all of the toppings are gone, replenish with the rest of the toppings. The crunchiness is a fun contrast to the smooth dip.