What's Cooking? Healthy Smoky Black Bean Dip

Photography: Karry Hosford

Ingredients:

• 1 19-oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped onion
• ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro [leaves & stems]
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 2 Tbsp. low- or nonfat sour cream or yogurt
• 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo, coarsely chopped [amount depends on heat preference]
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. red chili powder
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika, salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except salt & pepper. Process until smooth. Taste for seasoning, add salt & pepper to taste, and blend thoroughly. If you prefer a thinner dip continue processing and add water 1 Tbsp. at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with 2 Tbsp. of chopped cilantro if desired, and serve with baked tortilla chips, homemade whole-grain pita chips [dusted with cumin, paprika & salt], and/or crudités.

A couple of notes:

Consistency...i like my dips VERY thick, so depending on your preference you'll probably want to add some water to loosen it up a bit.

Heat...I love it, so i always go heavy on the pepper & chiles...but if you're not into spicy, start off with just a little, you can always add more.

Enjoy!