You won’t look at beans the same again after tasting this creamy and garlicky white bean dip with soy mushrooms! Make this vegan appetizer for your next dinner party to wow your guests. It’s got lots of savory, umami flavor and layers of different creamy and crunchy textures with every bite. Perfect for dipping with baguette, chips, or even vegetables.
Background
This creamy miso butter bean and crispy mushroom dip takes inspo from Natalia aka Natsnourishments on TikTok. I’ve had this recipe saved in my collection for quite a while, and it was the best Thanksgiving appetizer to serve friends and family. We love this recipe because it’s vegan and accommodates some of our family’s dietary needs, gives us a chance to eat more beans as protein, and it’s still delicious!
White bean dip ingredients
Creamy miso butter bean dip is easy to make, but it requires a couple of steps of preparation before serving: caramelizing onions, blending the dip ingredients, roasting mushrooms, and adding toppings.
The main ingredients for dip are:
- Caramelized onions are full of sweet and rich flavor. They take the longest amount of time to make this recipe. We use sliced yellow onion, some kosher salt, and a little bit of water to help speed up the caramelizing process. I recommend making the caramelized onion a day ahead and keeping it in the fridge until it’s time to blend.
- Butter beans are the base for this dip, giving it a creamy texture. You can also use other types of beans, like Great Northern Beans.
- Red miso adds a deep savory flavor and saltiness to the dip. If you prefer a less savory flavor, you can also use white miso.
- Garlic cloves give a slightly aromatic and pungent flavor.
Crispy mushrooms
To make crispy mushrooms, we used an air fryer and marinated the mushrooms with soy sauce. The best way to get crunchy mushroom pieces is to use a fork to shred the mushrooms into small pieces gently. This creates more surface area for the mushrooms to become crispy. Before roasting, we coated them in a generous amount of oil to help with crisping.
Extra toppings
After spreading the white bean dip onto the serving plate, you can then add the crispy mushrooms and toppings. The toppings are where it gets fun and I like to add a bunch of texture and spices like:
- Green onions, sliced thinly, add a fresh and mild sweet onion flavor to the dip. You can also use chives.
- Parsley is a beautiful garnish that also adds a nice fresh and peppery flavor to the sweet and savory dip.
- Fried shallots (or fried garlic slices) are among my favorite toppings because they offer a nice, crunchy texture.
- Chili crunch adds a hint of heat to complement the savory and sweet flavors. You can also add fresh slices of chili or jalapeno, too.
- Extra-virgin olive oil adds a more decadent, fruity flavor to the dip.
This white bean dip is best served with pita chips or toasted baguette slices. I like to pick sides that are heavy enough to carry the toppings and ingredients.
Making ahead & storage
The great thing about this creamy miso butter bean dip is that you can prep several of the ingredients a day ahead to save time and assemble it right before serving the appetizer. Since caramelized onions take the longest to prep, I do this the night before. You can also prep the dip base and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Remember to bring out the dip base an hour before serving so it has time to come to room temperature.
If you have leftovers, try to separate the toppings and mushrooms from the dip before storing to prevent soggy toppings.
Garlicky White Bean Dip w/ Soy Mushrooms
Ingredients
Caramelized onions
- 2 c thinly sliced yellow onion
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- water as needed
Bean dip
- 16 oz butter beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp red miso
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp plant milk add more if necessary
- ¼ tsp kosher salt add more if necessary
- ⅛ tsp black pepper add more if necessary
Roasted mushrooms
- 11 oz mushrooms
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
Toppings & assembly
- green onions sliced thinly
- fried shallots optional
- chili crunch optional
- extra-virgin olive oil
- pita chips
- baguette slices
Equipment Used
- knife and cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
- saute pan
- Spatulas
- Strainer
- air fryer
- mixing bowl
Instructions
Caramelized onions
- In a pan over medium heat, add the 2 c thinly sliced yellow onion. This process takes between 45 minutes to 1 hour, so be patient.
- Occasionally, stir the onions to prevent sticking. Add one tablespoon of water when you see the onions are sticking too much to help deglaze the pan.
- When the onions turn golden brown in color, add the ⅛ tsp kosher salt and stir.
- Continue to stir the onions until they turn a dark brown color but are not burnt. You should end up with around ½ cup of caramelized onions.
Bean dip
- In a food processor, combine caramelized onions from above, 16 oz butter beans, 1 tbsp red miso, 6 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp plant milk, ¼ tsp kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp black pepper. Blitz until the onions are blended thoroughly.
- Taste the dip and adjust the seasonings or texture.
Roasted mushrooms
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Use a fork to gently shred the stems of the 11 oz mushrooms from the base of the cap towards the root. For larger caps, use the fork to prick a few holes. Try to keep the overall structure of the mushrooms intact. If you’re using very large mushrooms you can cut them down to bite size before or after shredding.
- In a bowl, combine the mushrooms, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tbsp neutral oil. Toss to evenly coat.
- Place the mushrooms in the air fryer and separate them so they’re not touching. Bake for 8-10 minutes. If you are using a traditional basket air fryer, flip the mushrooms occasionally to prevent them from sticking.
- Set the mushrooms aside, preferably on a rack-lined sheet pan to keep them crispy.
Assembly
- In a serving bowl, spread the dip evenly.
- Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil on top.
- Add the roasted mushrooms in the center.
- Top with green onions, fried shallots, and chili crunch.
- Serve with pita chips or baguette slices.
Like this recipe? Subscribe to my newsletter!
