WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Black beans are native to Mexico and are a staple ingredient in Mexican cooking. We wanted to highlight black beans’ rich flavor in a smooth and creamy appetizer dip. To keep this starter quick and easy, we turned to canned black beans. The secret to achieving a creamy and complex tasting dip was to pair the starchy bean with a lighter vegetable—in this case, onion-—and then infuse the mixture with aromatic spices. A combination of oregano, cumin, and chipotle in adobo provided earthy, spicy, and smoky notes. Garlic added much-needed depth, but raw garlic tasted harsh. We found that soaking the garlic in lime juice for at least 15 minutes mellowed its flavor. We combined everything in the food processor, which gave the dip a smooth, luxurious texture. Letting the dip rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes ensured that all of the flavors melded nicely. A bit of fresh cilantro stirred in just before serving added a burst of freshness to our easy dip. Serve with homemade
chips.
Makes about 2 cups
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine lime juice, garlic, and oregano in small bowl; set aside for at least 15 minutes.
- Pulse beans, onion, oil, chipotle, cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt, and lime juice mixture in food processor until fully ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Continue to process until uniform paste forms, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl twice.
- Transfer dip to bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature before serving.) Stir in cilantro and season with salt to taste before serving
