Cannellini Bean Dip

This cannellini bean dip is a favorite at our house. You’ll want to serve it often since it’s delicious and so easy to make!

Cannellini beans are often referred to as white kidney beans. I sometimes like to refer to this bean puree as Tuscan white bean dip because cannellini beans can be found on almost every menu throughout Italy’s region of Tuscany. Tuscans eat a lot of beans and are known throughout the rest of Italy as “Mangiafagioli” or bean eaters! Bean eaters is a good way to describe people following a vegan or plant based diet as well, so let’s all be Mangiafagioli!

How to Make it

To get started, you’ll need cannellini beans.  I prefer to use dried beans for this puree because quite honestly,  I think they taste better. That being said, you can use canned as well and I’ve often opted to use canned cannellini beans for this recipe when I’ve been short on time. Canned beans are convenient and they’ll still taste good, no worries!

You’ll need to soak the dried cannellini beans prior to getting started. I like to soak the beans overnight. Rinse the dry beans, put them in a container, then cover the beans with a few inches or so of water. You need plenty of water because beans will expand while soaking.  Leave the beans out on the counter at room temperature. Soaking reduces the cooking time and helps with digestion as far as the gas part is concerned. 

*For this recipe I use a 1/2 pound bag of dried cannellini beans. It’s easy to find a 1 pound bag or you can buy 1/2 pound in some stores that sell them in bulk. This amount will yield approximately 3-4 cups cooked and drained beans.

*If you are going the canned bean route, you’ll need 2 of the 15oz. cans of cannellini beans. Drain and rinse the beans. They’re already cooked and ready to go. 

After the beans have soaked, drain and rinse. Put the beans in a pot and cover with  2-3 inches of water.

Bring the pot to a boil and skim off any foam then reduce the heat to low. The beans will take 2-3 hours to cook. Cooking time varies depending on soaking time and the age of the dried beans, so just keep an eye on them.  Most of the liquid will be absorbed by the beans when they are ready and the beans will be soft. 

Once the beans have cooled to room temperature, add the cooked and drained beans to a food processor, blender or put the drained beans in a bowl if you will be using a potato masher to make the puree. 

Finely chop fresh rosemary and garlic and add to the cannellini beans along with the olive oil, lemon juice and a bit of salt to taste. Mix thoroughly by pulsing, blending or mashing until you achieve the texture and creaminess you prefer

 

How else can you season the cannellini beans?

This cannellini dip is similar to hummus but it tastes and reminds me of Italy because of how it’s seasoned. Rosemary, garlic, a bit of lemon and olive oil remind me of the flavors in Tuscany.

 There are other variations to try however.

Try adding

*parsley

*sage

*thyme

*dill

*chopped kalamata olive

How to Serve the Cannellini Puree

*As a dip for veggies and crackers

*In a wrap or sandwich topped with veggies

*On a piece of toast for breakfast

*As a pasta sauce. Just thin the bean dip out with a bit of the pasta cooking water.

Make a double batch and use the beans in various ways all week!

Cannellini Beans are Healthy

It makes me happy when something delicious is healthy! Just do a little research and you’ll quickly discover that Cannellini beans are a good source of protein, fiber, iron magnesium and more.

If you follow a whole-foods, plant-based diet you can replace the oil in the recipe with tahini. Or, just puree the beens with bit of water (instead of the oil) for moisture and top with a thick balsamic reduction drizzle.

This blog post is all about cannellini bean dip.  How to make it, ideas on how to serve it and how it can be seasoned various ways. It’s very savory, satisfying and nutritious. We serve it often at our house and it’s always a hit with family and friends.

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