Easy Black Bean Dip

When you think of refried beans you most likely think of pinto beans. Not for this recipe though! Let’s get creative and use black beans instead. Even if you’re not a huge fan of black beans this Easy Black Bean Dip might change your mind. Black beans don’t always have to be served whole and this bean dip doesn’t just have to be an appetizer. It’s also great for making quick meals! Add the bean dip to a shell for an instant bean burrito, serve it over brown rice for a quick rice bowl, and make the quickest taco salad ever by adding it to mixed greens. This recipe comes together quickly and stores well in the refrigerator. Best of all it’s super easy to make ahead and enjoy later!

Why use black beans??? Black beans are fiber and protein, aid in digestion, and help to keep you full longer. Fiber is beneficial because it slows down digestion allowing more nutrients from your food to be absorbed. Black beans are also great at helping to reduce triglyceride & cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels. They are a whole food and when you cook dry beans you not only get a more nutrient dense bean, you also get to choose the flavor of the beans and the amount of sodium you add.

As part of my Back to the Basics series, I recommend starting with organic dry black beans and cooking them with organic spices and low sodium to get the maximum nutrients from the beans. Don’t worry… Cooking dry black beans is easy! Here is a simple recipe for cooking dry black beans in under an hour with no soaking required. Cooking 1 cup of dry beans will give you enough cooked beans to create this recipe and several others – like Black Bean Burgers and BBQ Black Bean Salad (one of my favorites)!

Once cooked, the only thing you have to do is save the cooking liquid and blend or mash the beans (with a little cooking liquid) to create delicious refried black beans! A food processor works best, however, you can also use a potato masher. Blend or smash until smooth and then you are ready to make this amazing Easy Black Bean Dip Recipe!

To make the refried black beans, place 1 cup of cooked black beans (hot or cold) in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of cooking liquid (water will work if you accidently dumped the bean liquid). Blend and adjust cooking liquid as necessary. You may need to add a few more tablespoons of liquid to get a smooth consistency. Optional Stir-in: 1-2 tablespoons of salsa for more flavor.

Spread the refried black beans on the bottom of a 6×8″ glass container and top with guacamole. If you have a fresh avocado it’s super easy to make your own guacamole at home. Simply smash 1 ripe avocado and add a sprinkle of salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix together and spread over the top of the beans. It doesn’t have to look pretty at this point. In fact, for some reason this looks like an uncooked brownie with something green spread all over the top. That’s totally ok because there are still several layers left and the end result is going to taste amazing!

Over the top of the guacamole, spread organic sour cream, and then top with your choice of salsa. Even at this point it still looks a little messy but I promise once this all comes together and you add the cheese and the toppings all the layers will show and the finished bean dip will be great! Oh, and don’t forget to use your own creativity at any point in this recipe. Skip ingredients you don’t like and add the ones you do!

Shred some fresh cheddar cheese from a block (there is a reason it always disappears so quickly when you do this). It just plain tastes better than pre-shredded cheese. Not only does it taste better, it’s also better for you! Store bought shredded cheese comes with extra ingredients like cellulose, potato starch, and other anti-caking agents that are simply not good for your gut. When you buy a block of cheese it doesn’t have these extra ingredients. Always choose the block of cheese and grate it yourself. For the quality, fewer ingredients, and better taste! Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the salsa like shown above.

Now it’s time for the toppings! For this Black Bean Dip Recipe, I topped the cheese with chopped onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and sliced black olives. Red onion works well too. Feel free to pick your own favorite toppings though. You can’t mess this recipe up. Try to use a good variety of colors. That is what makes this dip look so good.

One of the great things about this recipe is that the bean dip is ready to eat as soon as its assembled. However, it is also a great dip to make a day ahead. It stores covered in the refrigerator for days and the flavors seem to actually improve with time!

Serve it as an appetizer with organic tortilla chips or even as a filling in a burrito. It can even be warmed up in a flour shell for a quick meal. Or add to the top of a taco salad or rice bowl for a super quick and easy weeknight meal. I love easy recipes that can be used in many ways and this bean dip is one of them. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you!

Feeling inspired and want to see more Black Bean Recipes??? Click Here

Below you will find my Easy Black Bean Dip Recipe you can make at home. As always, I encourage you to use this recipe as inspiration to create your own variation of bean dip. Remember you can always change the layers and toppings:)

Remember to be creative with your food. It doesn’t have to be complicated and there is inspiration all around you. If you haven’t tried making Black Bean Dip before, what are you waiting for?

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