Butter Bean Dip with Crispy Sage, Walnuts and Lemon
This butter bean dip is silky, garlicky and bright with lemon, then topped with crispy fried sage, toasted walnuts and a drizzle of the sage-scented oil. There's no tahini and nothing to roast, just a blender, a frying pan and a can or jar of butter beans. The sage does the heavy lifting: crisp, savoury and a bit autumnal, it turns a simple dip into something you'd happily put in the middle of the table. Scoop it up with sourdough crackers, toasted bread or raw veg.
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
Butter bean dip
- 320 g butter beans drained (from a can or jar), liquid reserved
- 1- 2 tablespoon (15 to 30ml) reserved bean liquid, for loosening
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1½ to 2 tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
- ¼ teaspoon salt only if your beans were canned in plain water (see notes)
Crispy sage and topping
- 20 g walnuts roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 10-12 sage leaves
- extra lemon zest to finish
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts. Chop the walnuts and toast them in a dry frying pan until just browned and nutty. Tip them onto a plate to cool, then wipe the pan clean. You'll use it again for the sage.
- Blend the dip. Drain the butter beans, keeping 1 to 2 tablespoon of the liquid. Put the beans, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice in a blender and blitz for a good while, until completely smooth. If it's too thick, add a little of the reserved liquid. Taste before adding salt (see notes).
- Fry the sage. Heat the olive oil in the clean pan. Drop in the sage leaves and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until crispy. Lift them out onto the paper towel. Leave the oil to cool down slightly.
- Plate up. Spread the dip in a shallow bowl or plate and drizzle with the olive oil. Crush some of the crispy sage over the top, leave the smaller leaves whole and scatter them on. Add the toasted walnuts and finish with a little extra lemon zest.
Notes
Salt: If your beans came in stock or were already salted, you're unlikely to need more. If they were simply canned in water, you'll need about ¼ tsp.
Bean liquid: Reserve it before you tip the beans into the blender. You only need it if the dip comes out too thick, so add it a little at a time.
Lemon: Start with 1½ tablespoon juice and taste. The zest adds brightness without more sharpness, so it's worth using even if you like a milder dip.
The oil: The olive oil you fried the sage in is the drizzle. It picks up the sage flavour, so don't pour it away.
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 7gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 147mgPotassium: 436mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 2mg
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