Za’atar-Roasted Veggie and Bean Dip

Justine Lee
Justine LeeRecipe Production Coordinator
Justine Lee is Kitchn's Recipe Production Coordinator and a food writer and recipe developer based in NYC. Her writing frequently appears in Food52, Bon Appetit, Food Network, The Infatuation, among others. She has also been featured in the New York Times and the Wall Street…read more
published Aug 29, 2022
Za'atar roasted veggie dip on serving platter surrounded be fresh vegetables.
Credit: Photo: Julia Gartland; Food Stylist: Jessie YuChen

This veggie-packed blender dip Is no-fuss and high-reward. Eat it as a snack with crackers or crudités, or use it to turn a jumble of leftovers into a meal.

Serves4 to 6

Makesabout 5 cups

Prep10 minutes to 15 minutes

Cook40 minutes

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za'atar roasted veggie dip on serving platter surrounded by fresh vegetables.
Credit: Photo: Julia Gartland; Food Stylist: Jessie YuChen

Calling all lovers of dips for dinner! This za’atar-roasted veggie and bean number is wonderful served with a heaping platter of veggies, crackers, and toasted bread, but I love to view it as a bridge — it brings random fixings (think: canned tuna, bitter greens, lentils, jammy eggs) together into something that looks and tastes like a complete meal.

It’s a dip that requires very little effort, but rewards you with a giant bounty of flavor. Cut a whole red onion, a zucchini, and an eggplant into big lazy chunks and toss them in olive oil and za’atar seasoning. Let them roast and soak up the bright oil before stirring in plenty of garlic and tomatoes to roast again. Then we take it to the blender.

Resist the urge to drain the beans! Along with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, cannellini beans get added to the blender — canning liquid and all. (I learned this trick from Hetty McKinnon’s serendipitous whipped hummus recipe, in which Hetty uses the aquafaba from a can of chickpeas to achieve a luxuriously voluminous spread.) When adding the za’atar-roasted vegetables to the blender, adopt a “no drop left behind” mentality and try to push in as much of the residual za’atar oil in the pan as you can. Taste as you blend. If it tastes not as za’atar-y as you’d like it, add in a teaspoon more of seasoning. If it tastes flat, add more salt. Finish by barely blitzing golden raisins for sweetness.

Za'atar-Roasted Veggie and Bean Dip Recipe

This veggie-packed blender dip Is no-fuss and high-reward. Eat it as a snack with crackers or crudités, or use it to turn a jumble of leftovers into a meal.

Prep time 10 minutes to 15 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes

Makes about 5 cups

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1

    medium eggplant (about 1 pound)

  • 1

    small red onion

  • 1

    small zucchini (about 8 ounces)

  • 1/4 cup

    olive oil, plus more for garnish

  • 1 tablespoon

    za’atar, plus more for garnish

  • 1 pint

    cherry or grape tomatoes

  • 4 large cloves

    garlic

  • 1

    medium lemon

  • 1 (about 15-ounce) can

    cannellini beans (do not drain)

  • 2 teaspoons

    kosher salt, plus more as needed

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup

    golden raisins, plus more as garnish

  • Serving options: crackers, pita chips, crudités, or warm pita bread triangles

Instructions

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  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF.

  2. Prepare the following, placing each in the same 9x13-inch baking dish as it is completed: Trim and cut 1 medium into 1-inch pieces. Cut 1 small red onion into 1-inch chunks. Trim and halve 1 small zucchini lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

  3. Drizzle the vegetables with 1/4 cup olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon za’atar, and toss to coat. Spread into an even layer.

  4. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven, add 1 pint cherry tomatoes and 4 large peeled garlic cloves, and toss to combine. Return the baking dish to the oven and roast until the tomatoes are blistered, about 20 minutes more. Let the vegetables cool in the baking dish for 10 minutes.

  5. Juice 1 medium lemon until you have 2 tablespoons and place in a blender. Add 1 (about 15-ounce) can cannellini beans and their canning liquid, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Blend until smooth.

  6. Scrape all the roasted vegetables and juices in the baking dish into the blender. Pulse until the mixture is just combined but still chunky, 8 to 10 (1-second) pulses. Add 1/4 cup golden raisins and pulse until just combined, about 4 (1-second) pulses. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed.

  7. Transfer the dip into a serving bowl and garnish with more za’atar, olive oil, and golden raisins. The dip is best served slightly warm or at room temperature with crackers, pita chips, crudités, or warm pita bread triangles.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serve cold or rewarm in the microwave.