White Bean Dip Olive Penguins (Printable)
A smooth white bean blend accented with lemon and olive penguin adornments, perfect for cold season gatherings.
# What You’ll Need:
→ White Bean Dip
01 - 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
04 - 1 clove garlic, minced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
06 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
→ Olive Penguin Decoration
09 - 18 large black olives, whole and pitted
10 - 6 small mozzarella balls (bocconcini or ciliegine)
11 - 1 large carrot
12 - 6 toothpicks
# How-To Steps:
01 - Combine cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika in a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
02 - Transfer the blended mixture to a serving bowl and smooth the surface with a spatula.
03 - Peel the carrot and slice into twelve thin coins approximately 1/8 inch thick for the penguin feet. From additional carrot slices, cut six small triangles for beaks.
04 - Pat olives dry. Cut a lengthwise slit in six olives and gently stuff each with a mozzarella ball to form the penguin's white belly.
05 - Place a carrot coin flat on the work surface as feet. Stand the stuffed olive vertically on top.
06 - Place a whole olive on top as the head. Insert a carrot triangle into the pitted hole of the head olive to create the beak.
07 - Use a toothpick to thread through the head, body, and feet to secure each penguin.
08 - Repeat assembly for all six penguins and arrange them atop or around the white bean dip for serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in 20 minutes flat, leaving you time to actually enjoy your guests instead of being glued to the kitchen.
- The creamy texture and bright lemon flavor make people ask for the recipe before they've even finished their first bite.
- Those little olive penguins turn a humble dip into something playful and Instagram-worthy, which somehow makes everything taste better.
02 -
- Don't skip rinsing the canned beans; the starchy liquid left behind will make your dip taste tinny and less creamy than it should be.
- If your mozzarella balls are too soft or slippery to stuff easily, chill them in the fridge for 15 minutes first and they'll hold their shape.
03 -
- If you don't have a food processor, a blender works just as well, though you may need to add a splash of water to keep things moving smoothly.
- For a vegan version, swap mozzarella for firm tofu cubes or vegan cheese balls, and the dip becomes naturally dairy-free without losing a single layer of creaminess.