Vegan Pesto Bean Dip is a great way to use up leftover pesto (or an excuse to make pesto). It's plant-based and oil-free!

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I don't know about you, but I'm a HUGE pesto fan. What's not to love? There's the fresh basil. The cheesy taste. And a richness that comes from nuts.

Honestly, it might be the perfect sauce. It tastes amazing on pasta. Or on vegetables. Or as a salad dressing. You could eat it on a sandwich. Or in dip form.

I'm a fan of all of these options, but today we're going to focus in on the dip idea.

I've talked enough on this blog about my carrot obsession. Not convinced? Here's a picture of me buying a 25-pound bag of carrots.

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Yes, I ate them all. No, I will not tell you how quickly I ate them. You would think I'm crazy if I told you.

Anyway...

My point in telling you all of that is that I'm always looking for an excuse to eat carrots. So I love making hummus or dip of some sort. If I have dip in my fridge, I'm obligated to eat it. And since I don't like to keep chips in my pantry, veggies are my go-to. Anything I can use to get more carrots in this body!

Plus, I've already discussed the amazingness of pesto. So pesto + dip + carrots = bliss. (I have a math minor, that is valid math.)

Okay, now that my mouth is watering, let's dig into this recipe.

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There are two parts: pesto and bean dip. If you have leftover pesto, you don't have to worry about making pesto for this recipe. But if you're starting from scratch, the first step is to make pesto.

When I made this dip, I had leftover kale-basil pesto from another recipe. But I'll share that with you now, in case you need a recipe. OR you could check out my spinach walnut pesto recipe.

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Kale-Basil Pesto

The pesto is pretty simple, since this is only part of the recipe.

• Kale: This is the bulk of the recipe. Not to mention, it's a nutritional powerhouse!
• Fresh Basil: The star ingredient in pesto. Look for fresh basil, without any brown spots.
• Red Onion: Not a traditional pesto ingredient, red onion gives a tang that complements the kale.
• Walnuts: Usually peso recipes call for pine nuts, but I love using walnuts because they have a similar taste but have much more nutritional benefit than pine nuts. Any type of nut will do, though.
• Garlic: For a mellow, spicy flavor.
• Salt: To enhance all the other flavors.

To make the pesto, simply add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the kale and basil are very finely chopped.

Now you're ready to make the dip!

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Vegan Pesto Bean Dip Ingredients

• Butter Beans: If you haven't heard of butter beans, don't worry. You should be able to find them at any normal grocery store where all the other canned beans are. Butter beans are the same thing as Lima beans. Lima beans are the young, green version while butter beans are the mature, beige version.
• Kale-Basil Pesto: See the recipe, above!
• Tahini: Tahini, aka ground sesame seeds, adds a distinct toasty tang to the dip.
• Nutritional Yeast: Since we didn't add any nutritional yeast to the pesto, we'll add some here for delicious cheesy flavor.
• Salt: Used for the same reason as above - to enhance all the other flavors.

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How to make Vegan Pesto Bean Dip

Add the butter beans, pesto, tahini, nutritional yeast, and salt to a food processor. Process until smooth. Enjoy (with carrots, of course)!

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Recipe Prayer

Thank you got for this dip. Let it nourish our bodies. Amen.

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Related Recipes

If you're looking for other dips to try, check out some of my favorites:

• Sweet Potato Hummus
• Spicy Corn Guacamole
• Spicy Black Bean Dip
• Smoked Paprika Garlic Hummus

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Tried this recipe?

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