Nothing gets me more excited than the first forays into warm weather grilling! With today’s herby whipped white beans, golden brown smoky grilled mushrooms are the perfect accompaniment to that surprisingly creamy decadence. I offer ideas on using the oven or a sauté pan as well though.
I have lots of ideas to glance through if you’re in need of another white beans recipe. This kale white bean soup is incredibly popular. Also. this creamy kale pesto white bean dip is another gorgeous green appetizer creation.
With this iteration of white bean dip, navy beans are “whipped” in the food processor with golden sautéed garlic slices, the garlic-infused olive oil, tons of leafy herbs, and fresh lemon juice. While this white bean dip is made of simple ingredients, it offers a surprisingly rich and lush result with all of the goodness of white beans–fiber yay haha.
I chose basil, chives, and parsley for my herbs. I also recommend dill or cilantro here! This flavourful white bean appetizer is a great way to use up leftover herbs before they start to go off. I find that herbs in general plus lemon goes really well with white beans. Once garlic is in the equation, plus some meaty and smoky mushrooms… well, you really can’t go wrong.
On its own, these whipped white beans are lovely. I like to serve them with crostini or fresh bread. I also enjoy topping everything off with some extras like finely chopped shelled pistachios, drops of aged balsamic vinegar, and little tangles of microgreens. These are all optional!
Whipped white beans can work as a more substantial appetizer or as a side dish too! Personally, I would happily eat this with a simple salad on the side and call it a day. Any time the grill comes out, our meals get a bit more laid back and less focused on structure. Let your intuition be your guide 🙂
Herby Whipped White Beans with Smoky Mushrooms
Herbed whipped white beans make a silky vegan dip base for smoky grilled mushrooms. This is a perfect appetizer to enjoy with crostini on the patio! Ten core ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
Whipped White Beans
- 2 cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup mixed leafy herbs, packed (I used basil, parsley and chives)
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter or tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Tamari
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- cold water, if needed
Smoky Grilled Mushrooms
- 8 ounces (225 grams) mixed mushrooms
- olive oil
- Tamari
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For Serving
- chopped herbs, optional
- baby or micro greens, optional
- aged balsamic vinegar, optional
- finely chopped shelled pistachios, optional
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- crostini/toasted or grilled bread
Notes
- White beans are the best for a silky texture! I used some navy beans from Flourist that I had cooked and frozen a couple weeks ago, and then thawed overnight.
- You can mix up the herbs here based on what you have. I use parsley, basil, and chives, but dill and cilantro could also be nice!
- You can sauté or roast the mushrooms if you prefer not to grill! Just sauté in oil over medium-high with the spices, salt, and pepper until browned and soft. To roast, set the oven at 400 and toss the mushrooms with olive oil, the spices, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet–roast until golden and soft–about 15-20 minutes.
- For mushrooms, I used mostly baby oysters, some small shiitake caps, and a few quartered creminis. The oysters are far and away my favourite though 🙂
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the white beans, leafy herbs, cashew butter, lemon juice, Tamari, salt, and pepper.
- Set a small skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and sliced garlic to it. Once the garlic slices start to sizzle a bit, lower the heat. Fry the garlic until slightly golden on the edges, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and oil to the food processor.
- Run the food processor on high and keep running until the white beans are silky smooth and have a “whipped” consistency. Add cold water by the tablespoon if needed. Once you have the right consistency and the seasoning is good to you, set aside in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Preheat a grill to high. If some of your mushroom caps are large, cut them into larger bite-size pieces. Thread the mushrooms onto skewers. Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil and Tamari, and then season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic. Flip the skewers over and repeat the drizzling and seasoning.
- Place the skewers on the grill and cook until the mushrooms are browned and they release from the grates, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the skewers over and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Spoon the herbed whipped white beans onto a serving plate and spread them out. Top the white beans with the smoky grilled mushrooms, and other garnishes of your choice. Serve with crostini and enjoy!
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