Kalamata White Bean Dip
Whip up this white bean dip with Kalamata olives! The recipe is easy to make with basic pantry ingredients and tastes delicious.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
30Comments
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This Kalamata olive-flavored white bean dip is the recipe you didn’t know you needed. Sure, it’s not the most appetizing-looking appetizer out there, but it’s delicious and easy to make. It’s a nice alternative to hummus and a lovely way to savor Kalamata olive flavor without feeling overwhelmed by the saltiness.
This recipe was inspired by an appetizer we ordered at Lidia’s, a local Kansas City restaurant owned by renowned chef Lidia Bastianich. Some white bean dips are downright unappetizing—they can be gloppy, too salty, or flavorless—but not this one. The Kalamata olives lend welcome richness in both texture and flavor.
To make this recipe, you’ll need just a few basic ingredients—white beans (I used Cannellini, but Great Northern would also work), pitted Kalamata olives (plus a splash of brine), olive oil, salt and pepper, and an optional sprinkle of fresh basil. You’ll find serving suggestions and the full recipe below.
This white bean dip is a great impromptu recipe to whip together when guests are on their way. I’m always scrambling before guests arrive, so I like to have a repertoire of easy recipes that I can pull together in no time. This one is a winner! I hope you’ll bookmark it to make soon.
How to Serve Kalamata White Bean Dip
Make a platter with whatever you have on hand—try crostini or a loaf of crusty bread, pita chips or toasted pita wedges, or crudités like carrots, cucumber and bell pepper.
For a full spread, treat it like a cheese plate—add cheese, nuts and fresh fruit. Add another dip, if you’d like. Here are more Mediterranean-style dips that would be lovely accompaniments:
You could also serve it with a fresh salad, like my Mediterranean Bean Salad, Easy Tomato Salad or Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing.
Watch How to Make White Bean Dip
Please let me know how your dip turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Kalamata White Bean Dip
Whip up this white bean dip with Kalamata olives! It easy to make with pantry ingredients and tastes delicious. The sprinkle of fresh basil is optional. Recipe yields about 1 ¾ cups of dip.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked beans
- 1 tablespoon Kalamata olive brine
- ⅔ cup pitted Kalamata olives, well-drained
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- Tiny pinch of fine salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
- 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
- Optional garnish: A couple of fresh basil leaves, very thinly sliced
- For serving: Crostini, pita chips, crusty bread, or crudités like carrots, cucumber and bell pepper, for serving
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Taste and add another pinch of salt if the flavor needs a boost. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with a light drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of basil, if using.
- Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Lidia’s, a restaurant in Kansas City owned by Lidia Bastianich.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Wow! This is the best! Super easy to put together with ingredients I had on hand. Definitely a keeper.
Hooray! Thanks so much for reporting back, Debra!
Love me C&K recipes, but this is the first one I ever decided to make before even reading it. I live in a small fishing village an hour through mountain passes southeast of Kalamata, surrounded by at least 10,000 olive trees. So right away I pitted the olives and started soaking the beans! Followed the recipe precisely, results fantastic! Keep in mind that every Greek taverna offers several dips (called here “salata” if you ever travel). So this is high praise. And yes, pita bread is an excellent choice. Woo hoo!
Hi Mic! Wow, I couldn’t ask for better feedback! Delighted to hear that you enjoyed this near Kalamata with authentic Greek ingredients. Have a great day!
This is a super quick yummy creamy savory dip! This is a great way to use up the half empty jars of Kalamata olives that tend to accumulate in the back of my fridge.
Great point, Audrey! I usually have more than one of those in the fridge at any given time, oops.
Made this exactly to the recipe and it was delicious. Our guests loved it, a great alternative to a hummus dip. Thanks!
I’m so glad! Thanks Sue!
I think you missed in the recipe list the spoon you will need to shovel this into your mouth. I may try the pita or veggis the next time I make it…because it is now gone. Great vegetarian dip!
Ha! Thank you, Anne!!
How do you think any leftover dip would freeze?
Hi Ellen, I think it would freeze pretty well since it’s dairy-free (I’ve had good luck with hummus, which is similar). I’d let it thaw in the fridge, then stir well before serving.
Made this today. Ate the entire recipe with pita chips and sliced apples. Delicious. Will definitely make this again but will double the recipe.
Thanks, Peter! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it so much!
This is so delicious! Thank you for another wonderful recipe. To keep the oil level low, I used aquafaba from the beans instead of oil, but I think I may try it with the olive oil some other time, perhaps when I have guests. I also added a touch of lemon juice and a little lemon zest to add brightness. I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t have needed them, if I’d used the olive oil. Overall, a wonderful dip.
Thanks Luisa! I always love to hear how modifications turn out.
I made this today for my husband to take to the debate “ party” he is attending. Wow! It is delicious! No pic as it is on its way to the party! But , it was so easy to make! I doubled the recipe. I also added a little extra garlic, and had no fresh basil so I topped it with some Garza finishing olive oil, and sprinkled smoked paprika on the oil. The smoked paprika was a good switch! It was great with carrots and any veggie and pita chips were the absolute right call for a chip!
Will be making this again soon! Kim
Thanks so much, Kim! I love your adjustments! I’ve been seeing Garza lately and need to try it. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a note!
I would like the nutrition information before I make it. The “nutrition” link did not bring it up.
Hi Christine, I’m sorry for the trouble. If you’re looking for calories, a serving of 1/4 cup comes to 148 calories. This recipe should display the full nutrition rundown when you click on the “nutrition information” header. It just worked for me. It may have been a temporary glitch. Please try again, perhaps in a different browser.
I LOVE this dip. I make it all the time and serve it with veggies, pitas, crackers. I it so delicious.
Thanks, Donna! I’m happy to hear that you’re loving this one!
This dip is absolutely delicious. It is super simple and super tasty. I served with a vegetable tray and pita chips and it was a hit.
That’s great to hear, Marjie!
Great recipe :-)
I think the nutrition info needs to be fixed?
It says a 1/4 cup is 7 portions.
Its delicious, I just need to keep track of what I’m eating.
Thanks!
Hi Christine, I hope this helps. 1/4 cup is one serving. There are 7 servings total – each 1/4 cup.
exceptionally good dip! thank you!
Made this tonight- had everything in the pantry and fridge.
Easy, affordable, & simply divine!!
Had low expectations for this (not a huge fan of kalamata olives) and am so impressed that I’m writing my first ever recipe review. It is incredible, and I will be including this one in our regular meal plan (for lunch on sourdough toast) in addition to dipping.
Terrific but simple recipe! Used it as a crostini topping for an *Italian-style” *tapas-like*dinner because the weather was “Too Dang HOT To Cook.” Put in 2 garlic clives and a pinch of cayenne, just bc I felt spicy that day. Am thinking the flavor of this will vary due to olive oil used. I used one labeled “robust.” Used it to top crostinis (used Asiago bread), then basil, garlic chives from garden and their white flowers that carry the flavor too. Then topped w thinly sliced colorful mini bell peppers I had left over from the store bought bag. I wondered if a little lemon zest might be good for the next batch, but noone in the house wanted that change!
Thk you for this!