Black Bean Dip
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Delicious, healthy and easy-to-make black bean dip.
We just got back from a family adventure in Costa Rica, where we rafted through the jungle, came face-to-face with monkeys, sloths and toucans, zip-lined over the rainforest and, best of all, ate lots of delicious Costa Rican food. From homemade corn tortillas and rice and beans to empanadas and arroz con pollo, we tried so many wonderful Latin American dishes that I can’t wait to recreate at home and share with you. First up: this creamy black bean dip. Admittedly, it’s not going to win a beauty contest, but it’s so flavorful, healthy, and easy to make, you won’t care.
What you’ll need to make black bean dip
The secret is using lots of onions, garlic, jalapeños, and fresh lime juice to boost the flavor. I also like to add lots of fresh cilantro but if you don’t care for it, it’s perfectly fine to leave it out.
Before we get to the recipe, a few words on jalapeño peppers. Two might seem like a lot, but I don’t use the seeds or ribs, which is where most of the heat is. The dip has a little kick, but it’s not spicy. If you like heat, you can add some of the seeds but go easy — you can always add more at the end.
Also, be sure to either wear gloves or wash your hands very well after handling jalapeños, and never touch your face while you’re chopping — if the juice comes in contact with your eyes, it will sting something awful!
How to make the dip
Begin by cooking the onions, garlic, and jalapeños in olive oil until very soft, about ten minutes. Notice that I leave the garlic in fairly large chunks; if you chop it too finely, it will burn.
Meanwhile, rinse the black beans.
Combine the beans with onion mixture, salt, cumin, lime juice, water, and fresh cilantro in a blender or food processor.
Purée until almost smooth. If you’re using a blender, you may need to stop and stir it a few times.
Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and top with more fresh chopped cilantro and a lime wedge if desired. That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
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Black Bean Dip
Delicious, healthy and easy-to-make black bean dip.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped*
- 2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime, plus more if desired
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and jalapeño peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about ten minutes. Do not brown.
- Transfer the cooked onion mixture to a blender or food processor and add the black beans, salt, cumin, lime juice, water and cilantro. Blend until smooth (if you're using a blender, you may need to stop and stir a few times to help it out). If the dip is too thick, add more water or lime juice, little by little, to thin it out. Taste and adjust seasoning, then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm, cold or room temperature with tortilla chips.
- *Most of the heat from the jalapeños is in the seeds and ribs, so leave those out. If you like a spicier dip, reserve the seeds and add them little by little when you're blending the dip.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 114
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 231 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Delicious! Will make again.
Jennifer, I follow you and make many of your dishes. I live in Costa Rica I’m so happy you visited my country and had a great time here. I’m sure you had Gallo Pinto for breakfast. Lol….
🙂
I made this dip for the first time about 2 months ago and have made it probably a dozen times since. I love that it doesn’t use a ton of oil or tahini to give it a nice consistency, making it a little lighter than other dips I enjoy. And I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand so it can be made at a moment’s notice. Thanks for a great recipe!
I am from Costa Rica and I have lived in the US for 30 years.
I cook Costa Rica’n food to my family. They love this dip. (frijoles molidos)😋.
Can you use an immersion blender?
Hi Kimberly, It may take a little longer to get everything blended but I think it should work. Enjoy!
Hi how long does this last in the fridge after making it? Thanks.
Hi Vee, It should keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Super easy to make and quite delicious with a nice lime kick! Spread it on warmed flour tortillas and top with a sunny side egg with a drizzle of Cholula, heavenly!
I’ve made this dip twice and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! It’s got tons of flavor and is the perfect texture. I made it to bring to someone’s house and plans changed so I have it in the fridge. I’ve been dipping fresh veggies into it, but also warmed it up and spread it on top of scrambled eggs. I think I may spread it on some toasted bread today and then add a few sliced tomatoes on top. Looking forward to that already!
Delicious as is, but did add a little red pepper to spice it up a bit (only added a handful of jalapeño seeds at the start). Thank you for this recipe.
This is so delicious and easy to make!! And talk about healthy! We loved it cold. The lime and cilantro really stand out in this dish. I wish it looks as good as it tastes. 😜😜. Thanks, Jenn!
Everything she makes is absolutely delicious.
LOVE this bean dip!! I make it all the time and get rave reviews.
I will say that 1 1/2 tsp. of salt is WAY too much! I add 1/2 tsp. then add more to taste after it’s done.
I made it exactly as instructed, and it was delicious. Flavorful, savory, creamy, not pasty. The best I’ve ever had.
Delicious! I didn’t take out the seeds and next time I will…whew it’s spicy but I love it!
What can I substitute the cilantro for?
Hi Ant, you can use flat-leaf parsley in place of the cilantro. Hope you enjoy!