No-Oil White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip with Lemon and Parsley

General Xerophagy Published June 13, 2026

A bean dip needs neither oil nor tahini to be rich — soft cooked white beans blended with their own starchy liquid turn silky on their own, and a head of mellow roasted garlic gives all the depth that oil usually provides. Bright with lemon and flecked with parsley, this is a protein-dense spread for strict days, scooped up with raw vegetables or torn fasting bread.

Because the beans are cooked, this sits at the edge of xerophagy and fast-without-oil — observe it as your parish keeps the day. No oil touches it as written. On oil days, a pool of olive oil over the top and a dusting of paprika make it festive; on fish days, fold flaked sardines through for a heartier mezze.

FASTING LEVEL: Xerophagy / Fast Without Oil (no oil)
SERVINGS: 6 (as a dip)
TIME: 15 minutes (using cooked or canned beans)

INGREDIENTS

- 2 cans (800g total) cannellini or other white beans, OR 2 1/2 cups home-cooked
- 1 whole head of garlic
- Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 4-6 tablespoons bean cooking liquid or water, as needed
- Smoked paprika, to finish
- Raw carrot, cucumber, and celery sticks, to serve

METHOD

1. Roast the garlic: wrap the whole head in foil (no oil needed) and roast at 200C/400F for 35-40 minutes until soft and caramel-colored, or dry-roast the unpeeled cloves in a skillet over medium heat, turning, until blackened in spots and tender. Squeeze out the soft pulp.

2. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. If using canned, give them a quick rinse.

3. Blend the beans, roasted garlic pulp, lemon juice, cumin, and salt until smooth, adding bean liquid a tablespoon at a time until the dip is light and creamy.

4. Pulse in most of the parsley. Taste and adjust lemon and salt — it should be bright and well-seasoned.

5. Spread into a shallow bowl, dust with smoked paprika, and scatter the remaining parsley over the top. Serve with raw vegetable sticks.

NOTES

- For a truly raw strict-day version, use sprouted-then-blanched beans, or replace with a soaked-and-sprouted chickpea base.
- For oil days, pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the surface before serving.
- For fish days, fold a tin of drained sardines through the dip.
- Add a spoon of harissa or a pinch of cayenne if you like heat.