Looking for a healthy dip recipe? This Black Bean Dip fits the bill! It’s loaded with fresh vegetables as well as a few convenience items and this healthy bean recipe can be made as spicy or mild as you like. We take ours with a kick. You’ll love the vibrant flavors and I guarantee, this lively, chunky dip won’t last long at your next gathering.
Why it’s taken so long to share this black bean dip
I meant to post this recipe for Cinco de Mayo, but I’m not always as organized as I’d like to be and my best intentions fell by the wayside as I was knee deep in chalupas, salsa verde and those incredible crepes. That said, I knew I had to get this one up before Memorial Day, because you’re going to want to have a big batch of this on hand all weekend!
Anyway, this black bean dip comes courtesy of my friend, Nola. (Thank you very much!) It has appeared at countless barbecues, poolside veg-sessions and long weekends in the Keys.
Ingredients for Nola’s black bean dip:
- Red Bell Pepper
- Yellow Bell Pepper
- Jalapenos
- Garlic
- Scallions
- Canned Black Beans
- Ro-Tel (canned tomatoes with peppers)
- Red Onion
- Cilantro
- Fresh Lime Zest & Juice
- Salt & Pepper
What you’ll appreciate about this dip is that it straddles the line between fresh food and convenience items. Fresh from crunchy bell peppers, red and green onion, zesty lime, garlic, spicy jalapeno and aromatic cilantro. This simple no-cook black bean dip is an easy chop and dump recipe (my favorite). I think it improves by sitting for an hour or two for the flavors to marry, but it’s never stopped me from diving in before that allotted time frame.
If you don’t have Ro-Tel, you can substitute fresh chopped tomatoes and a small can of green chilies. The can of Ro-Tel just makes it that much easier.
With just a little chopping and assembly, you’ve got a fresh, healthy snack that’s great for weekend tailgates and game-day munching. We love this for weekends at the beach too.
Tips for chopping
- Have a good knife for chopping. Not one of those $15 supermarket brands — a REAL KNIFE. I know, they can be expensive, but a good knife will last you a lifetime. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but you can generally find a decent quality blade for between $50-$125.
- Make sure your chopping knife is sharpened. A good sharp knife makes all the difference when prepping this dip. I have a 7″ santoku knife that fits perfectly in my hand and the blade rocks easily from the tip to the hilt. It makes chopping a breeze.
- It helps to use the steel before chopping, to put a fresh edge on the blade, but you can also sharpen your knives professionally or buy an electric knife sharpener to give them a once over every month or two (depending on how much you cook).
Once you’ve whipped up this easy bean dip recipe,be sure to have several bags of tortilla chips on hand — which are the ideal transport for getting the dip from the bowl to you mouth! Black bean dip should always be served with tortilla chips and cold cervezas or margaritas — or both.
More easy bean dips you might like:
Black Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1/2 red bell pepper 1/4" dice
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper 1/4" dice
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced on a bias
- 2 15- ounce cans black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 10 ounce can original "rotel" tomatoes with green chili drained
- 1/2 small red onion finely diced
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 lime zested and juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
serve with
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the bell peppers, jalapeño, garlic, beans, scallions, rotel tomatoes, lime zest and juice, red onion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Serve with tortilla chips and cold cervezas.
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I’m making the dip for 12 adults. Should I double the recipe or not?
If that’s the only thing you’re serving, double it. If there are other things to munch, you don’t need to.
I’m looking to add more black beans to my diet and I thought this would be a guac-style dip. However, this is even better.
Jacob — this is the one dip we make for EVERYTHING. Game day, picnics, cookouts, cocktails — sometimes we just make a batch and with a margarita — that becomes dinner! So glad you enjoyed it.
This is really great for summer gatherings! I take this same recipe and add vegetable stock and ground turkey to make a chili for the winter. Top it with shredded cheese, sour cream, and a side of cornbread (or keep it vegan) and you’re good to go.
That sounds like a great idea! And we’re coming into chili season!
This recipe was a Huge success and was devoured by all, thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it Yvonne. Admittedly, we make this at least 2-3 times a month — and it never lasts…
This is so good!!!! Was looking for a healthy appetizer for a get together. Thanks!
We make this dip all the time — one of our favorites and goes great with a margarita!
Looks awesome!! Can this dip be made ahead of time and kept in a cooler for a couple of days? I’m thinking of making it for our camping trip.
As long as you keep it on ice – it should be fine. I make huge batches of this for long weekends and we graze on it the whole time!
This dip filled with fresh veggies looks amazing! This would be perfect for a summer snack or appetizer. Thank you for sharing! I cannot wait to try this!
It’s always a struggle for me to figure out what to bring to family gatherings since they are so large and slaving over the kitchen to cook for 15 the next day kinda sucks on a Friday evening! This sounds SO awesome. SO easy, healthy and dippy dip dip fun! haha 😀
That’s the beauty of this dip! It’s easy, fresh and EVERYONE loves it!
I agree: cold cervezas AND margaritas are absolutely required for maximum enjoyment! I love that all the ingredients for this (GORGEOUS, hello?!) dip come straight out of my pantry. THIS will be making an appearance at my Memorial Day cookout for sure!
Please let me know how you like it! We had it last night while we were floating around my parents’ pool!
Love that this is essentially a big bowl of veggies! And it’s perfect for the long weekend!
Exactly… so it’s a guilt-free snack — except for the tortilla chips…
This dip looks great! I love how chunky it is – perfect for digging a chip into.
Woo hoo one of my favs!