Black Bean Dip is quick and easy to make using store bought salsa. Beans are an excellent source of fibre and protein making them a good choice for everyone on a gluten free diet (but really, just everyone).
One idea to add more beans to your diet is to find a handful of recipes you like for each specific bean. I make five recipes using black beans; Southwestern Quinoa Salad, my Santa Fe Bowl, a vegetarian quesadilla, a soup recipe and this Black Bean Dip.
Halloween Vegetable Tray Ideas
In October it's fun to serve this black bean dip in an orange bell pepper with a jack- o'-lantern style mouth. Follow through with the Halloween theme using an orange or black tray and serving the dip with cheese flavoured nachos, blue corn chips, baby carrots and jicama sticks.
If you've got a few plastic spiders or snakes be sure to use them too.
Look around the house for anything orange, black or white and get creative. You may be surprised what you can come up with when you think outside the box.
Here are some more foods to consider.
- Baby carrots, purple carrots or jicama sticks served on a black plate or bowl.
- Vegetable chips in various shapes and colours.
- Roasted carrot hummus or Lemony Hummus with blue corn nacho chips.
- Red, orange, yellow and black bell peppers cut in strips or hollowed out and carved like a jack-o'-lantern.
- Small orange or white pumpkins in different sizes filled with dips or vegetables.
- I wonder what a version of my Easy Bean Salad would look like using black and white beans with a sprinkling of red lentils?
- Dark bread (faux pumpernickel or the new gluten free charcoal bread from Queen Street Bakery) served with cream cheese and smoked salmon.
- Buckwheat blini would look great on a Halloween table too!
What is Jicama
Do you buy jicama? The letter j is silent, like in jalapeno, so it’s pronounced HEE-kah-ma. Jicama is an edible root used in Latin American dishes that can be eaten raw or cooked.
It’s crunchy and refreshing and it's in season in fall. In Mexico street vendors sell raw jicama sticks seasoned with lime juice and chili powder.
Check out my Instagram video to see how I cut it up.
A Well Stocked Pantry
Canned beans are a good item to store in your pantry and seeing them there might inspire you to make this Black Bean Dip. Black beans are commonly used in southern cooking and many Latin American cuisines so look for more ways to try them.
Both dried and canned beans are easy to find at the grocery store. Bean aficionados insist soaking dry beans give the best texture but for me the convenience of canned beans wins so that's what I have in my pantry.
Get The Tools
Every cook needs tools so work toward collecting the ones you like the best. Tools that get used wear out over time so replace your favourites with a higher quality of the same item and it will last longer. You can make silky smooth soups and purees with any of these.
- An inexpensive Hand blender or the popular Magic Bullet work just fine.
- I like my Cuisinart food processor because the larger bowl accommodates bigger recipes.
Let me know in the comments below if you created something with an orange and black theme. Better yet show me a picture.
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Black Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans , rinsed and drained* (19 oz/ 540 ml)
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- OPTIONAL GARNISHES – sour cream, cilantro, chopped tomatoes or tortilla chips.
Instructions
- Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve with jicama sticks, bell peppers or any raw vegetables.
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