This Mexican-inspired vegan black bean dip is creamy, garlicky, and good for you, too.
Whenever someone suggests bringing store-bought salsa to a party, my inner self shouts out a big “Noooo!” Jarred salsa freaks me out. Why is it that something that’s supposed to be made from fresh vegetables can just sit there in a jar on a store shelf for months? How can those limp tomatoes and odd bits of red skin be remotely appetizing? And why does store-bought salsa always taste surprisingly sweet?
A part of me wants to apologize for sounding like a snob, but I am not even sorry. And don’t get me started on packaged guacamole… *full body eyeroll*
I love to make dips from scratch. They’re super easy and I can create the exact texture and flavor I want, and not have to worry about strange chemicals or preservatives that are always looming in store-bought stuff. A while back, Bon Appetit featured a ridiculously handy guide from Anna Jones for how to make pretty much any bean dip your heart desires. I used it as inspiration to create this vegan black bean dip and added a few of my favorite Mexican flavors: cumin, cilantro, and lime.
This black bean dip comes together quickly and you probably already have everything you need to make it in your kitchen. It’s creamy, garlicky, bright from the lime juice, a bit smoky from the paprika, and fragrant thanks to the cilantro. The beans’ high fiber and protein content makes this dip healthy and satiating, too, and a great alternative to hummus. Instead of regular tortillas, this dip goes perfectly with plantain chips.
Black Bean Dip with Cilantro and Cumin
(23 votes, average: 3.91 out of 5)
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- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This Mexican-inspired vegan black bean dip is creamy, garlicky, bright from the lime juice, and fragrant thanks to the cilantro.
Ingredients
- One 15-ounce can of black beans (low sodium, if possible), drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
- 2 tablespoons filtered water
- 1–2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime), to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Hot red pepper flakes, for garnishing (optional)
- Plantain chips, for serving
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the beans, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the cilantro, water, lime juice, oil, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth. Taste and season with more salt or lime juice, if needed.
- Scrape the dip into a serving bowl, drizzle with a bit of oil, and sprinkle with the pepper flakes, extra cumin, and the remaining tablespoon of cilantro. (The dip can be made up to a day in advance. Hold off on the garnishes until right before serving).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 63
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
Keywords: black beans, bean dip, cumin, cilantro
Could AQUAFABA (the liquid in canned GARBANZO beans) be used in place of the oil? Thanks.
Hi Leslie. I haven’t tried it but my inclination is no. The oil amplifies the flavors of all the other ingredients, so if you omit it, the dip will taste flat. You could try using tahini in place of oil, if you want!
Thanks so much Alexandra for answering. I should’ve asked if SOMETHING else could be used Instead of the oil or just omit it. But I’ll try to tabini. It looks fabulous!
Awesome! Enjoy the dip 🙂
I love the look of this dip!! Fresh is definitely the best. I love plantains too! 🙂
The perfect combo, right??
Ooooooh yah. gimme all of this! I’m always looking for a new party snack and love plantain chips, so this is totally perfect. Cannot wait to try!
Awesome, glad you like it!