Creamy, nutritious and infused with sage, lemon and garlic, this white bean dip is so versatile! Amazing as a dip, but great on sandwiches, in wraps, and in your favorite Buddha bowl!
If you haven't fried sage before, you're in for a treat! The first time I used it was when I was creating my recipe for Vegan Butternut Squash &; Sage Ricotta Stuffed Shells . I had a huge bunch of fresh sage and had just tried Saveur's recipe for Fried Sage. It was neat seeing the sage sizzle, and smelling it's amazing aroma as it heated. Once it dried on a paper towel, it became crisp and made such a pretty garnish! There's little chance I'd eat a raw sage leaf as the flavor is so strong, but something magical happens when it fries. The flavor becomes more subdued and a bit toasty.
Needless to say I became totally enamored with frying it. This led me to coming up with ways to use it and the oil it's been fried in. Because sage has such a strong flavor, it infuses oil very nicely. It's very quick, just a few seconds of frying and the leaves are done! Repeat this with a small bunch of sage leaves, and the oil becomes amazing for great things like this dip!
Tips for Perfect White Bean Dip:
- this recipe calls for white beans. You can find canned "white beans" in some stores, and depending on the brand, the beans may be one of a few different types. I prefer using Navy Beans because they have thin skins and so they blend easily into a silky dip. You can also use cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans), which are larger, meatier beans, or Great Northern beans which are smaller like Navy Beans.
- sage has such a lovely flavor, but a little goes a long way. For this recipe, we're infusing olive oil with sage leaves which we can then use a garnish. Once the infused oil has been added to the dip, taste it to see if that's enough sage flavor for you. If you'd like more, blend in a few sage leaves to the dip at a time until you get a flavor you're happy with. Sage has a very strong flavor, and when too much is added it becomes overpowering. Subtle is the goal here so we can still taste the lemon and the garlic.
- depending on the beans you use, if they are canned or home cooked, and the type of food processor you have, blending times will vary. We want a silky smooth dip. Once blended, you may want to add a tablespoon of water at a time until you get the consistency you're after.
If you make this Lemon Sage White Bean Dip, be sure to let me know in the comments below and give it a rating in the recipe card! Also, I love connecting on Instagram where you can tag me in your creations using my recipes. Thank you for reading along!
Lemon Sage White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sage leaves, lightly packed (small bunch, main stalk removed)
- 2 cups white beans, cooked, rinsed and drained (1 x 19 oz/540 g can)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fine lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add 4 sage leaves at a time, frying about 3 seconds per side. Place the cooked sage leaves on a sheet of paper towel. Continue until all the sage has been fried.
- In a food processor, blend the white beans, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest and salt, scraping down the sides as needed. With the food processor still on, slowly stream in the sage infused oil. Taste to see if you need more sage flavor. If so, add a few sage leaves at a time. I added 3 large leaves to mine, but there's a wide range in sage leaf sizes. You may even prefer the dip with no leaves, only the infused oil. Sage has a very strong flavor, so add it gradually, tasting after each addition.
- If you prefer a thinner dip, add water, a tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you prefer. Add more salt if desired. Garnish with fried sage leaves, lemon zest, and more olive oil if desired.
Toria says
I made this dip from leftover sage in the garden. It was absolutely delicious. After it was all blended, for some portion I added a bit of smoked paprika, chili and cracked pepper for a kick. It was delicious both ways. It also freezes really well in an icecube tray and easy to defrost for a quick savory snack with flatbread. Thank you! Oh I also made these with dried beans.
Josy says
delicious. I fried one sprig of about eight small leaves in a tablespoon of grape seed oil (fewer transfats when heated than olive oil) and used every one of them in the dip – maybe it’s because sage is more delicate in Spring.
vivian says
Excellent dip with flavours that I really like. Crispy sage leaves are wonderful on so many things. Thanks for a great recipe!
Crumbs & Caramel says
Hi Vivian, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I'm so happy you enjoyed the dip and crispy sage leaves! ~ Bronwyn