Chilled Black Bean Dip
Black turtle beans were hard to find in England 8 years ago and when I did they were 
intimidating. Although they looked delicate and pretty, they were dried, hard, black, and shiny so I wasn’t convinced that I could turn them into anything appetizing. My exposure to Central and South American cuisines was limited, quite the opposite to the breadth of their influence I can find in Chicago now.
Back then, my friend Charlotte had recently passed on a recipe for black bean tacos with crumbled feta cheese and red cabbage coleslaw and raved so much about it that I was determined to make it for dinner.
I rinsed the dried beans and followed a quick soak and boil method, still feeling intimidated, but once they were cooked and mashed with cumin and olive oil, I began to appreciate their worth. Stuffed inside a tortilla, pan fried until crispy and golden and topped with salty feta put them forever in my favorite recipe collection.
That recipe transformed a mystery ingredient into what has become a staple in my pantry and after much research, and with special thanks to the folks at Rancho Gordo for their guidance, I no longer soak my black beans. This has made them infinitely more accessible to my slow cooker recipes.
Of course this makes sense, because the original slow cooker was “The Naxon Beanery” designed and manufactured in Chicago by Irving Naxon. Inspired by stories of his great grandmother cooking Cholent, a Jewish meat, potato and bean stew typically cooked on the Sabbath to avoid working in the kitchen, Naxon invented the perfect vessel for slow cooking the dish – The Beanery.
Continuing our Chilled Summer Dip Series, this week we bring our black bean dip recipe derived from our Southwest Fiesta blend. The dip is a deep, rich, purple color and has the flavors of the Southwest with a kick from the ancho chili and smoked paprika. The same recipe can also be used for tacos and burritos.
If you are intimidated by dried beans, take a look at our simple Beans 101 below. With the exception of kidney beans, most can be cooked without pre-soaking.
| Canned
2 x 15 oz cans |
Dried
8 oz / 1 ½ cups |
|
| quality | Low sodium, BPA free, Trader Joe’s or Edens Organics | Dried heirloom beans are smaller batch & fresher. Buy new beans. Whole Foods Market & Marianos in bulk, Rancho Gordo, Zursan, Elegant Beans |
| preparation | They cook more quickly than dried. Rinse and drain before cooking. | Dried take longer to cook. Pre soak method overnight in plenty of water, rinse and drain before cooking. OR don’t pre-soak – just follow the cook time as per the recipe |
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic / 2 cloves
- 1 ½ cups / 8 oz dried black beans, rinsed
- 1 1/2 tbsp Southwest seasoning or 1 Southwest Fiesta Slow Cooker Spice Blend
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
- heat the oil in a skillet on medium; sauté onion & garlic gently for 2 minutes
- transfer to the slow cooker
- stir in the black beans
- spinkle in the Southwest Fiesta blend & add the water
- stir, cover and cook on LOW: 8-10 hours or HIGH: 4-5 hours
- cool and blend in a food processor with the sour cream and lime juice
“Because only slow food can teach us the things that really matter – care, beauty, concentration, discernment, sensuality, all the best that humans are capable of, but only if we take the time to think about what we’re eating.”
