Black Bean Dip

If you’re looking for a healthy dip to make for the week, this black bean dip is the answer. All you need are black beans and some spices, a little acid in the form of lemon juice and a bit of fat, in this case, olive oil. Just a quick whiz in the food processor and you’re done, the perfect Mexican-inspired bean dip to go with crackers or chips. I would eve add this to tacos or nachos instead of refried beans, it’s healthier and more flavourful. Win-win situation, no?

I would say about ⅔ of the cooking I do on a weekly basis doesn’t end up seeing the “pages” of Living Lou. There are a lot of failed recipes, and a few dishes that are just in the moment, on a whim type dishes. Maybe I’m recipe testing for a future post, or just whipping something up quickly, but I do a lot of cooking outside of this space. It’s kind of liberating – a dash of this, a pinch of this, not writing anything down, just going with it. I love just cooking for the enjoyment and process of it. I find cooking to be one of the most rewarding things to do, because you always end up with a finished product. Now, it’s not always a good final product, but it’s something. A jumping off point to make changes and adjustments for the next test. That said, I wouldn’t worry though, I’m not cheating you out of any delicious recipes. The other day I made an awful pasta sauce that you definitely won’t want to try.

This Black Bean Dip was one of those on-a-whim type of dishes, then I had my first taste and knew it was something I wanted to serve at my 1,000 Cooks for the Cure dinner party and post about it. A healthy dip option that is perfect for a party and is vegan? It’s the kind of crowd-pleasing dish that any party needs. Whether it’s a fundraising party or a Super Bowl party or if you’re sitting down with a couple of friends to watch the most recent NHL game. This is the kind of protein packed snack you will be proud to serve to anyone, and I guarantee they’ll all love it.

Now this black bean dip might not be the prettiest dip out there, but it is delicious. I think the most important part of any dish is the flavour and looks come in a close second, but if it looks goods but doesn’t taste good, I won’t want to eat it. For this dip, it’s the combination of cumin with chili powder and the secret ingredient, is chipotle chili powder. I love the smoky notes the chipotle chili powder gives this dish so definitely don’t skip out on that ingredient. I opted for lemon here for the acidic element of this dish, it helps to brighten and tie the flavours together, but you could also use lime.

Give this black bean dip a try for a healthy snack.