Cannellini bean dip on cucumber chips is a refreshing vegan alternative to cheese and crackers. It's a great springtime snack and perfect for an afternoon happy hour appetizer.
It’s Friday! Woot-woot, let the happy hour begin! It’s only 8:00 am you say, pshaw, what would Jimmy Buffet say you big party pooper?
I’m kidding, I have never started a happy hour before noon. Unless you count game days in college, or having a beer after a half-marathon, or….okay, never mind.
Spring has sprung, and so have my neighbors. Everyone has come out of hibernation and they're out and about again. We’re walking our dogs, running, biking, and doing whatever else people do to have an excuse to get out and enjoy the nice weather. And with all of the “hello neighbor, long winter no see” talk that’s been going on around here, the neighborhood happy hours have re-emerged as well.
In honor of that, and the fact that swimsuit season is almost here, I wanted to make a healthy, light, low calorie, big flavor appetizer, like this simple cannellini bean dip on cucumber chips.
This dip is so easy and quick to make, it’s perfect for a last minute get together. It’s also pretty darn fresh and light, like springtime. All you need to make this is a can of cannellini beans, a clove of garlic, a cup of basil leaves, olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, and a food processor. Load the ingredients into the processor and grind those beans up until they’re smooth and creamy. Like I said, EASY!
Making the cucumber chips are a little more difficult. KIDDING! Wash a cucumber and slice it into ¼ inch thick circles. Bing, bang, done.
If you want to get all fancy you can spoon the dip into a piping bag or a plastic sandwich bag (cut a corner out) and artfully squeeze the dip on the cucumber chips. Or, you can go rustic and just spread the dip on them. Do what you feel. It’s all good.
This cannellini bean dip on cucumber chips is a refreshing change from cheese and crackers. The cucumber is fresh, crunchy, and a little bit wet. The dip is creamy, savory, and spicy. Together they are all of that in one.
Reread the paragraph above and tell me that it doesn’t sound like something out of a cheesy romance novel. “He was such a refreshing change from the other men she had dated. He made her feel fresh, crunchy, and…..” Am I right? Describing food can sometimes feel so wrong.
But you know what? There’s nothing wrong with this appetizer. It’s perfect for a quick midday snack, or for lingering over a glass of wine and good conversation with your friends. Try it, you’ll like it!
Have a fabulous weekend my friends!
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Cannellini Bean Dip on Cucumber Chips
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce can of cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 clove of garlic – with the skin on put it in a small pan of boiling water for 30 seconds then remove and take the skin off. This will reduce the sharpness of raw garlic.
- 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper start with an ⅛ of a teaspoon and add more if you’re sensitive to spicy food
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 large cucumber – wash and pat dry then slice into ½ inch thick rounds
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients (except the cucumber) to a food processor and blend until thick and creamy. Spread the dip on the cucumbers.
- Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 4 days.
Toni Dean says
I absolutely do NOT recommend using 1 cup of fresh basil. This must be a typo. I prepared it this way and it was completely green and should've been called Basil Dip.
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Toni! Sorry about the mistake on our part. This is a super old recipe and definitely needs to be updated. The correction is: chop the basil and then gently fold it in to the bean dip after you've blended it through. I'll make sure to fix the recipe card today. Again, so sorry about the mistake and hopefully it still tasted good : )
Have a great day!
Alex & Linda
Viki says
Hi there! Is this the kind of dip that tastes better the next day? Or should I make it and take it? I'm going to a pool party (yes it's October but I'm in So California!).
Thanks!
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Viki! Thanks so much for the comment! You can totally make this dip ahead of time, but we would recommend using tupperware, plastic wrap (or it's eco-friendly equivalent), or other airtight container to make sure that the dip doesn't develop a hardened layer on top from oxidizing. Let us know how the dip goes at the pool party! We're super jealous as Chicago is already getting pretty chilly : )
Suzy Nagy says
Do you drain the beans or use the liquid?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Suzy, Thank you for asking. You drain and rinse the beans. Fixing that in the recipe box now.