Spanish Roasted Pepper & White Bean Dip
A silky vegan dip of charred red peppers and creamy cannellini beans, smoky with pimentón and bright with sherry vinegar.
Best for A high-fiber, plant-protein snack that keeps you satisfied between meals
This is the dip I make when I want something that tastes like a Spanish tapas bar but leaves me feeling clear-headed and fed, not weighed down. Roasting the peppers until they blister concentrates their sweetness, and blending them with white beans gives the plant protein and fiber that carry you between meals. Smoked paprika and a hit of sherry vinegar do the heavy lifting, so you get depth without a drop of dairy. Scoop it with vegetable sticks or whole-grain toast and it earns its place at any table.
Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers , whole
- 400 g cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves , cloves, peeled
- 45 ml olive oil , plus extra to finish
- 5 g smoked paprika , sweet or hot
- 15 ml sherry vinegar
- 2 g ground cumin
- 4 g fine sea salt , or to taste
- 5 g flat-leaf parsley , chopped, to garnish (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
-
1
Heat the oven to 220°C. Set the whole peppers on a baking sheet and roast, turning once, until the skins are blackened and blistered all over and the flesh has collapsed, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly, and let steam for 10 minutes to loosen the skins.
-
2
When cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the charred skins, then pull out the stems and seeds. Don't rinse the peppers under the tap or you'll wash away the smoky flavor; just wipe away stray seeds.
-
3
Add the peeled peppers, drained beans, garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika, sherry vinegar, cumin, and salt to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar.
-
4
Scrape into a bowl, swirl the top with the back of a spoon, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of smoked paprika, and the chopped parsley. Serve at room temperature with vegetable sticks or whole-grain toast.