Roasted Carrot Dip

If you have followed me for any time, you are most likely aware that I prefer a white bean-based dip over one that is garbanzo bean-based, like hummus. The texture is smoother and creamier, in my humble opinion, because of the different bean.

I also don’t think that tahini is the big deal ingredient that most people think it is. (Sorry Elaine and Yotam.) I love it in some things, not in everything.

So if I want a white bean dip or spread, I reach for my favorite – canned Great Northern beans. Then I decide what I’m going to add to it. Hummus eaters make hummus, with tahini and lemon. Same dip, all the time! I like to change things up.

Recently I came across a Roasted Carrot Hummus dip from My Kitchen Witch, and it caught my attention because carrots are one ingredient I haven’t added to white bean dip!

On this blog there are recipes for white bean dip with fresh rosemary, spices, beets, roasted butternut squash, paprika cream, and pumpkin. This just goes to show what can be done to make spectacular and tasty dips. You don’t always have to make hummus!

I’m not using Debi’s recipe, because hers is a hummus. This recipe is a white bean dip. But those roasted carrots got my attention! Thanks, Debi!

Roasted Carrot White Bean Dip

6 small orange and/or yellow carrots
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 cans Great Northern beans, drained
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt, to taste
Olive oil
Aleppo pepper, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub the carrots, if necessary, trim the ends, and dry off on a paper towel.

Place the carrots, cut into uniform pieces if necessary, in a jelly roll pan, or baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Roast until the carrots are caramelized but also tender. Sometimes I turn off the oven after the caramelization shows, to let veggies cook all the way through; you don’t want any burnt bits on tender carrots.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, place the drained white beans in a food processor jar.

Add the cooled carrots, garlic, cumin, and salt. Pulse as much as you can, then slowly add olive oil until there are no pieces of carrot or garlic any longer, and the dip is creamy.

If you like the carrot bits in your dip, process the garlic first, then add the carrots.

Serve immediately with pita bread, pita crisps, crackers, or bread.

You can see in the photo above how creamy and “pourable” this white bean dip is. And it doesn’t thicken and get mealy like garbanzo bean-based dips do.

I sprinkled Aleppo pepper on top of the dip, and for extra color, served it with blue corn chips.

Before I could even wash dishes, my husband had finished the dip! That’s his thumb in the photo.

verdict: Obviously my somewhat picky husband loved this dip, but I concur that it’s outstanding! The carrots add a subtle sweetness.

Note: I’ve never found that Hummus or white bean dips keep in the refrigerator. The garlic gets an off taste from oxidation, I presume, and it never tastes as good as when it’s just made. I recommend only making what you plan on eating on the same day.

By Published On: May 23rd, 201771 Comments on Roasted Carrot Dip

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

71 Comments

  1. Marisa's Italian Kitchen May 23, 2017 at 7:13 AM - Reply

    I’ve only ever tasted white been dip once and loved it!!! Wonderful idea with the addition of roasted carrots and this would never last past day one at my house 😊

    • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 7:17 AM - Reply

      I didn’t include links, but you can search my blog or check out the recipe index for variations of white bean dip. Simply garlic and chopped rosemary, or adding roasted red bell peppers, tahini and lemon just aren’t necessary. The bean is so much smoother and creamier, which is why I never order hummus out – it’s always dry and mealy.

      • Marisa's Italian Kitchen May 23, 2017 at 7:51 AM

        All wonderful choices Mimi…adding roasted bell peppers has me craving some now and I haven’t had breakfast yet! Thanks so much for sharing and can’t wait to try some😊

      • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 8:13 AM

        Hahaha! And it’s pretty! Sometimes I just add garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. So many options!

  2. chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 7:15 AM - Reply

    That’s my point. In my experience, when people add ingredients to hummus, they still keep the tahini and lemon. I love hummus, but it’s not always required in a bean dip, and omitting them allows for even more creativity!!!

  3. Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 7:42 AM - Reply

    Ha ha! Funny to see my name next to the great man’s!!!
    For me, I’ve never managed to make a white bean dip that wasn’t grainy, I’ve never managed it make it as smooth as something chickpea based :(
    I’m happy to try again though…but you’ll never move me on tahini ;)

    • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 7:45 AM - Reply

      Try a different bean! Trust me on this! I’m old and I’ve made lots of bean dips – it’s the garbanzos!!! Maybe you can tell the creaminess/smoothness from the photo? I love tahini, i just hope i made the point that it doesn’t belong in every variety of bean dip!!! Glad you saw the post!

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 9:08 AM

        I agree completely, not every dip needs tahini ;)
        For me, I do think that the different chickpeas make a difference. I’ve tried many different types of chickpeas, garbanzos, ceci, and the bigger the chickpea, the worse the dip in my experience. The large Spanish garbanzos create a horrible consistency.
        I’ll have to try some other beans :)

      • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 9:20 AM

        Well I’ve heard of removing the husk, but I just refuse to do that. If there was an extra special health benefit to garbanzos over my white beans, maybe.

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 9:23 AM

        I don’t remove the husk, I’ve tried it, and it does make a smooth homous, but there’s not enough difference for me to bother every time.

      • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 9:35 AM

        Interesting.

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 9:09 AM

        And yes, I can see how smooth your dip looks :)

  4. swedet00th May 23, 2017 at 7:57 AM - Reply

    Awesome recipe Mimi! So creammmy! :D

  5. chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 8:12 AM - Reply

    Thanks! It does taste bad the next day, just like jarred garlic tastes bad.

    • Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 9:11 AM - Reply

      That’s interesting, I’ve never had that problem, I have dips in the fridge for days and they just get better. Maybe it’s a transatlantic thing? Different garlic maybe?

      • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 9:20 AM

        Interesting. Maybe I use more garlic, so it’s more obvious? I only chop garlic immediately before I use it as well.

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 9:23 AM

        I tend to blend mine in with the dip, maybe that makes a difference?

      • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 9:34 AM

        I do that as well.

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 9:38 AM

        Who knows then??

      • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 9:42 AM

        No idea. When my husband was a vegetarian, I always made white bean dip sandwiches for a road trip, and I always made it that morning right before we left. I just don’t like the smell the next day. Just a personal thing I guess.

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 9:43 AM

        And isn’t that the crux of all of our food experiments and creations? It’s all about personal taste

      • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 9:51 AM

        I learned that the tough way when I started cooking for a couple. Wealthy, but had to taste in food – good food. I was banned from all seasonings. I wish I was kidding about that. And with catering as well – it doesn’t matter what I like or think is the right way to prepare something. There were some tough years!

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 23, 2017 at 10:04 AM

        I can imagine!!! That’s another reason I wouldn’t want to make food a career!

      • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 11:46 AM

        It was traumatic.

      • chef mimi May 24, 2017 at 6:38 AM

        I kind of fell into it by accident, when this couple asked me to cook for them, and it worked because we needed money, but I only worked when the kids were at school. I worked hard, but I was always there for my girls.

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 24, 2017 at 6:40 AM

        Sounds like you found a perfect scenario :)

      • Elaine @ foodbod May 24, 2017 at 7:19 AM

        That’s why I started my business when Ben was 4 and was starting school :)

  6. chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 8:38 AM - Reply

    They added a subtle sweetness and pretty color!

  7. Debi @ My Kitchen Witch May 23, 2017 at 9:05 AM - Reply

    Nice! Thanks for the shout out.

    • chef mimi May 29, 2017 at 10:12 AM - Reply

      You’re so welcome! Thank you for the idea!

  8. sugarlovespices May 23, 2017 at 9:35 AM - Reply

    What a clever idea to use roasted carrots in this fantastic dip! We love white bean dips (or cannellini, as we Italian call the white beans). It really is smoother and creamier. I can just imagine how good it tastes adding the roasted carrots!

    • chef mimi May 29, 2017 at 10:13 AM - Reply

      I don’t buy cannellini beans because they’re 3 times as expensive! But I’m sure they’re softer than garbanzos as well!

  9. chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 9:41 AM - Reply

    This was the first one I’ve ever spotted, and I can’t believe I’d never done it!

    • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 9:51 AM - Reply

      Wow. Like an Asian carrot salad? Incredible.

  10. Tasty Eats Ronit Penso May 23, 2017 at 10:51 AM - Reply

    This looks delicious. I love the addition of roasted carrots. :)

    • chef mimi May 23, 2017 at 11:47 AM - Reply

      They add such a pretty color and sweetness!

  11. Laura @ Feast Wisely May 23, 2017 at 5:04 PM - Reply

    Lovely dip Chef Mimi – has inspired me to switch the tahini and try white beans!

    • chef mimi May 24, 2017 at 6:37 AM - Reply

      Even if you made your hummus, substitute great Northern beans! The texture will be so different!

  12. Gerlinde @ Sunnycovechef May 23, 2017 at 6:05 PM - Reply

    I love dips but seldom make them. I will have to try this one. I am also not a big fan of tahini. I do use it in my regular humus.

    • chef mimi May 24, 2017 at 6:36 AM - Reply

      Traditional hummus is lovely. I’m just saying there are so many options with flavors, plus, there’s a better bean out there. Hope I made that clear and don’t offend anyone!

      • Gerlinde @ Sunnycovechef May 29, 2017 at 8:38 AM

        You didn’t offend me, you gave us a great recipe that looks delicious 😋.

  13. Culinary Flavors May 24, 2017 at 6:24 AM - Reply

    I love tahini but I agree with you it doesn’t go to everything! This dip looks very tasty and i am sure carrots gave it a very sweet touch!

    • chef mimi May 24, 2017 at 6:32 AM - Reply

      Even if you want to add something like carrots to beans, you also don’t have to include tahini and lemon. I just hope I didn’t offend anyone!

  14. chef mimi May 24, 2017 at 6:33 AM - Reply

    You really should. They so much softer and smoother, plus once you get them to the proper consistency, they don’t thicken up more. But at any time, they’re not dry and mealy.

  15. chef mimi May 24, 2017 at 6:34 AM - Reply

    It was really fun using the carrots! If I had leftover roasted veggies that would probably be good in a dip!

  16. kitchenriffs May 24, 2017 at 11:37 AM - Reply

    White bean dips are awesome! I do like tahini, but it’s used way too much these day IMO. Love the roasted carrots in this — such nice flavor. Thanks!

    • chef mimi May 24, 2017 at 11:40 AM - Reply

      I agree completely. The carrots add a lovely sweetness. Subtle, but it’s there.

  17. chukkiskitchen May 25, 2017 at 4:59 AM - Reply

    Wow looks so delicious. I am gonna try this.

  18. ssthimmes May 25, 2017 at 6:58 PM - Reply

    This dip looks delicious, I like the use of roasted carrots! I have all these ingredients I need to give this a try! Take care.

  19. Jean | DelightfulRepast.com May 27, 2017 at 9:48 AM - Reply

    Mimi, I got hooked on hummus years ago before it became a “thing.” My husband’s sister married into a Middle Eastern family and that was my intro to hummus, tabbouleh and all sorts of things that used to be unusual. Now hummus is sold in grocery stores and every potluck has several tubs of store-bought hummus! But I’ve never met a bean I didn’t like, so a lovely white bean dip like this one sounds good to me.

    • chef mimi May 27, 2017 at 9:50 AM - Reply

      Trust me on this. It’s not traditional, but it’s a better bean for hummus and other bean-based dips. I just tried to comment on your Mexican rice post 3 times and it wouldn’t work.

      • Jean | DelightfulRepast.com May 27, 2017 at 9:53 AM

        Mimi, it worked! It actually worked the first time, so I don’t know what was going on at your end — some sort of mysterious glitch? Thank you!

  20. Frank Fariello May 28, 2017 at 7:57 AM - Reply

    This sounds really nice. And I agree. As much as I do like hummus, I like variety even more.

    • chef mimi May 28, 2017 at 7:59 AM - Reply

      Yes! That’s why I rarely make the same thing twice. So much to experience!

  21. Jeff the Chef May 29, 2017 at 5:56 AM - Reply

    I love roated carrots. I can imagine the sweetness they’d bring to the dip, as you suggest. Nicely done!

  22. Elena Bourke May 29, 2017 at 1:57 PM - Reply

    This looks great. I like the idea of a white bean base with the roasted carrots. Do you ever add tahini to your bean dips?

    Elena

  23. Elena Bourke May 29, 2017 at 1:59 PM - Reply

    Ah! Just scrolled up and saw the tahini comments :)

    Elena

    • chef mimi May 29, 2017 at 4:50 PM - Reply

      Hahaha! No, I only add it if I want hummus, but usually everyone asks for a different dip variety!

  24. Cocoa & Lavender May 31, 2017 at 1:56 AM - Reply

    I, too, really like white bean dips – and the tahini is it necessary for me, either. However, that said, I do like baba ghanouj with tahini and lots of lemon! I need to try your carrot and being version, because my current version is just carrots butter and cumin!

    • chef mimi May 31, 2017 at 6:32 AM - Reply

      Well baba ghanouj is pretty fabulous. As is hummus. I just prefer great Northern beans, and a variety of different flavored and seasoned dips. So little time….

  25. StefanGourmet June 4, 2017 at 7:22 AM - Reply

    Nice! I bet this will be outstanding with grilled tuna.

    • chef mimi June 4, 2017 at 7:29 AM - Reply

      Are you sure you meant to write that here?!! It’s a dip, like for crackers…

      • StefanGourmet June 4, 2017 at 7:33 AM

        Oh yes. A cracker would be nice for crunch. A dip means that next to dipping you can put it on something with a spoon, right? So put it on a cracker, and then a piece of grilled tuna on top. Trust me.

      • chef mimi June 4, 2017 at 7:34 AM

        Okay. Like a crostini. Yes!!

  26. chef mimi June 6, 2017 at 6:42 AM - Reply

    Thank you!

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