5 Minute Bean Dip

Every have one of those days where you just run around all day only to realize that you have to go somewhere that night and didn’t prepare a thing?

The other Friday a I was getting ready to leave to go to a friend’s house for the evening, I realized that I had nothing to bring.  And while I stock baked pita chips in the house I didn’t have any dip.

So as I scanned the pantry, tossing my heels aside in the process, it came to me.

All I needed was a can of black beans.

Aside from being low in fat and calories and high in fiber, black beans are nearly impossible to screw up.  Pre-cooked and canned they can be made into a soup or dip in no time.  The only tough part is deciding with what flavors to accent the bean dip.

I was going to go for a more Mexican feel with left over salsa and some cilantro that I had languishing in the vegetable crisper, but much to my horror when I actual examined the contents of the fridge I realized that the salsa was all gone.  I had almost given up on the whole idea when my eyes landed on a small container of particularly delicious smoky BBQ sauce left over from an excursion to my favorite BBQ place, Beachwood BBQ.

The sauce I had was my favorite among their six offerings, slightly sweet, smoky, and deeply complex.  It was a perfect foil for the creamy texture of the beans, but was not enough of a punch on its own; though that was readily rectifiable with the addition of a few spices.

For a five minute dip, it came out remarkably well.  The only thing I would do differently is not process the beans for so long.  The dip had a smooth texture where as I think a slightly chunky texture would have been better.  Still for a spur of the moment, last minute recipe it’s a keeper.

5 Minute Bean Dip

1 can black beans, drained and lightly rinsed
2 tablespoons smoky BBQ sauce (or regular BBQ sauce and a ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke)
½ teaspoon each cumin and coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Salt to taste

Reserve half the beans.  Place the other half of the beans in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients.  Process until smooth.  Add the rest of the bean and pulse until desired texture is reached.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Server with chips.

Comments

[Nicole]

This sounds great! I think my husband would like your version better because he loves anything with barbecue sauce! Funny we posted the same thing...even the pita chips! Great minds think alike :-)