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Indulge in the effortless charm of America’s Test Kitchen’s no-cook black bean dip, a savory blend of garlic, herbs, and spices that effortlessly elevates your snacking experience. This recipe invites you to savor the rich flavors without breaking a sweat in the kitchen, making it a delightful go-to for any occasion.
It’s a simple to make, not heavy at all, healthy dip that everyone will love! And, this creamy smooth dip is also vegan!
This appetizer recipe comes from The Complete Beans and Grains Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide with 450+ Recipes. I was given a copy of the book but all my opinions are my own.
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
The Complete Beans & Grains Cookbook
I’ll tell you that I am in love with this {affiliate link} Beans & Grains Cookbook! There are dozens of pages that I’ve marked to make.
You guys know I love both beans and grains. I use them in all kinds of recipes. They are the delicious backbone of so many recipes, especially vegetarian recipes.
This cookbook helps you see how approachable these ingredients are. You’ll discover tantalizing recipes that use them in everything from sandwiches and hand pies to tacos and pizza, salads and simmered soups to cultural mainstays from around the world like adasi, spatzle, hummus, and gyros.
ATK has the very basics like how to make beans tender while keeping their shape to preventing cooked grains from clumping up. And you’ll find everything from weeknight recipes to special occasion meals, helpful charts, fast and vegan tags, and useful substitutions, offering convenient bean and grain options.
Things I’ll be making as soon as I have a kitchen include the Lentils du puy with spinach & crème fraiche, wild mushroom ragout, black rice bowls with roasted salmon and miso dressing, Slow cooker creamy farro with mushrooms & thyme, and so many more!
How to make
America’s test kitchen black bean dip recipe is a snack you can feel good about. It’s fresh, healthy, and a little smoky. Pair it with some tortilla chips and you’re all set.
The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.
Since raw garlic tastes harsh, you’ll soak it in lime juice to mellow the flavor. Just combine the lime juice, garlic, and oregano in a small bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes.
To keep this starter appetizer quick and easy we use canned beans.
Pair the cooked starchy beans with a lighter vegetable – in this case onion – to keep it light and infuse the mixture with aromatic herbs & spices. A combination of oregano, cumin, & chipotle in adobo provide earthy, spicy, & smoky flavors.
Pro tip: for the chipotle in adobo, you can use 1 teaspoon chipotle paste, or, after chopping the chipotle, process the leftover chipotles and adobo into chipotle paste.
I like the clean flavor or a white onion here, but really you can use a yellow onion as well.
Add those beans, onion, oil, chipotle, cumin, salt, and the garlic-lime juice mixture to the bowl of a food processor and pulse, then scrape down the sides, and process about 1 minute until the dip is smooth. Combine it all in the food processor, for a smooth luxurious texture.
Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, cover, and let the dip rest at room temp for at least 30 minutes to ensure that all the flavors meld. Don’t skip this step. It really helps!
Stir in the cilantro for a burst of freshness, and season to taste with salt. Be sure to check the salt level with the chips you plan on serving it with – some chips are way saltier than others.
Serve with tortilla chips or fresh veggies.
Dip can be made and refrigerated for 24 hours; bring back to room temperature before serving.
Serving suggestions
Serve this dip with tortilla chips, pita chips, for fresh veggies.
Top it with freshly made chimichurri sauce, Cottage Cheese Queso, or with some vegan nacho cheese.
Use as a substitute for refried beans in tacos or burritos. Spread the leftovers in a breakfast burrito the next morning.
Serve with Mexican corn salad, Crock pot chicken tacos, and Restaurant style salsa for a fun party spread.
Make it a fancy layered dip, like a my 7 Layer Mediterranean Dip, with avocado, guacamole, sour cream, and taco seasoning.
Serve this dip with tortilla chips, pita chips, for fresh veggies.
Top it with freshly made chimichurri sauce or with some vegan nacho cheese.
Or make it Mediterranean like a hummus layer with Jalapeno avocado hummus, cucumber, feta, corn, and pita.
Storing Leftover Dip
If you’ve got leftovers, this stores really well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Eat it cold from the fridge, or let it come back to room temperature again.
It can also be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to eat it.
Changes to the recipe
As always, I encourage you to make the recipe are written then go for changes that you like!
Try it as a warm black bean dip by heating it a bit on the stove until heated through.
For black bean dip with cheese add some cotija, queso fresco, shredded cheddar, or cream cheese. Top it with some queso or Velveeta nacho cheese.
Add in a jalapeno to the food processor to make it spicy or add a big pinch of cayenne pepper.
If you don’t care for cilantro, try adding in parsley or oregano instead.
Delicious Dips
Dips are the cornerstone of any party. These are always a hit with guests!
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Recipe
Black Bean Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 15 ounces canned black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ onion roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo remove the seeds to reduce the heat or 1 teaspoon chipotle paste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Combine lime juice, garlic, and oregano in a small bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the garlic flavor to mellow a bit.2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
- Add the black beans, onion, oil, chipotle, cumin, salt, and the garlic-lime juice mixture to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the bean are fully ground, about 5 to 10 pulses. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and let the processor run for about 1 minute until the dip is smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.15 ounces canned black beans, ½ onion, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Stir in the cilantro and season to taste with salt.2 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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