Black Bean Dip
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Break out the chips for this creamy black bean dip—it’s not only easy to whip up and healthy, but irresistibly delicious!
One of our most memorable family trips was to Costa Rica, where we explored the jungle, made friends with monkeys and sloths, and zip-lined above the rainforest (okay, I didn’t, but the rest of the family did). For me, the adventure was as much about the food as it was about the thrills. We enjoyed everything from homemade corn tortillas to hearty rice and beans, beef empanadas, and the classic arroz con pollo. One of my favorites was this deliciously creamy black bean dip. Although it’s not the prettiest dip at the party, its incredible flavor and simple preparation will make you fall in love at first bite.
“It’s so delicious…and also makes a GREAT filling for burritos. Spread it on a tortilla, add some chicken or beef, some sautéed veggies, cheese, sour cream, guac…YUM!”
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.
Two jalapeño peppers 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.
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 terribly!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and jalapeño peppers. Notice that I leave the garlic in fairly large chunks; if you chop it too finely, it will burn.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about ten minutes. Do not brown.
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
Break out the chips for this creamy black bean dip—it’s not only easy to whip up and healthy, but irresistibly delicious!
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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It was so nice to meet you and your family in Costa Rica. I am making your beef stew as we speak even though it is not winter…. Can’t wait to try this bean dip. Looks delicious and healthy too! Looking forward to trying your other recipes…. Susan and Boys
This is fantastic!! Very simple to put together and extremely flavorful!! This will become a party favorite for sure!! Great dip for my friends who can’t eat cheese, too. Thanks so much!!
Costa Rica is a fabulous place to share with your family..Michael and i did that trip several years ago on a tour. loved every adventure..and the food. Will make this dip soon. Sounds excellent..
I love black bean dip! I had it recently at a party and now I want to make it at home 🙂
This looks so great! I spent 3.5 weeks this July traveling throughout Costa Rica. It was amazing (including the food)! I had some black bean soup while there that was unbelievably delicious (particularly with the tomato/onion/egg salsa topping). I look forward to more CR inspired dishes that you’ll post!!
Jenn, it was so nice to meet you and your beautiful family in Costa Rica and experience watching our children zipline attached to one another!
I’m glad I’ll be able to try your easy to make and delicious recipes. This one, I can’t wait to try! Thanks Jen
So great to hear from you, Wanda! We loved meeting your family too…and I’m so glad the kids are all keeping in touch on instagram! Mike and I just watched the video of Zach and Ryan on the zipline…crazy!
Will definitely make this. Sounds great. We were in Costa Rica last year as part of a cruise through the Panama Canal. I did go Zip lining…and I’m a lot older than you. It was scary but I lived through it
lol…Barbara, I am petrified of heights. I couldn’t even watch my kids do it!
I have been looking for a good black bean dip recipe and I can tell by the ingredient list that I will enjoy this one!
Having traveled to Mexico (real places like La Paz, not the foolish resorts) I have experience the true flavors of Latino food and am glad to have your recipes. Now I’m off to my garden to harvest some jalapenos!
Thank you.
Sounds like your trip was wonderful. I will try to make this dip tonight!
Definitely will make this and look forward to your other Costa Rica inspired dishes. My daughter toupee and actually picked coffee beans when she visited and then they told her what she would have made per hour if she were working the field.
Happy Labor Day weekend and love the presentation of this dip!