Tired of Hummus? Here Are 4 Other Simple Bean Dips You’ll Love

Hummus has become a go-to dip for health-conscious folk and foodies alike. It’s a delicious, high-protein dip that is easy to make and easy to buy. Over time though, eating the same dip can get old. So what do you do when you feel like a change? Here are four dip recipes that are sure to tempt your taste buds and keep you coming back for more.

White Bean and Spinach Dip
Prep Time:
10minutes
Cook Time:
5minutes
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
  • 1bag (6 oz.) organic baby spinach
  • 1can organic navy beans, cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • 2 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1tbsp tahini
  • 1tbsp naturally-fermented, organic soy sauce
  • 1tbsp finely-chopped yellow onion
  • 1/2tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2tbsp dried chives
  • 1/2tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt to taste
Servings: serving
Instructions
  1. Turn on your stove to a medium heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a small pan, then add the spinach, red pepper flakes, dried chives, garlic cloves and yellow onion.
  2. Once the oil is heated, stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar and tahini.
  3. Add water to the pan as needed to keep the mixture from sticking.
  4. Cook until the onion pieces are translucent, the garlic is lightly toasted and the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat and allow the pan to cool.
  6. Meanwhile, blend or mash your beans. When the spinach mixture is cooled, stir in the beans. Add salt to taste. Serve warm or cold.
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Black Bean Salsa Dip
Prep Time:
5minutes
Cook Time:
nocook
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
  • 1/2can organic black beans, rinsed
  • 1/2can fat-free refried beans or 1/2 avocado
  • 1/4cup non-GMO, organic corn
  • 1/4cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4cup red or yellow onion, diced
  • 1/8cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1tbsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning or Fiesta Lime seasoning
  • dash of paprika
  • 1/2 jalapeno, chopped (optional for more heat)
  • salt to taste
Servings: serving
Instructions
  1. This is one of the easiest bean dips you will ever make. Once everything is chopped up and the lime has been squeezed, you can just stir all the ingredients together and eat. Don’t wilt the onion, cherries or cilantro. Leave it fresh to add some bite and crunch to this creamy dip. If you can’t find refried beans, use half an avocado instead. I, personally, think the refried beans makes it more of a bean dip. But as with all recipes, ingredients can be substituted or added as you see fit.
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Lentil Onion Dip
Prep Time:
15minutes
Cook Time:
30-45minutes
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
  • 2cups water
  • 1cup uncooked, organic red lentils
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 chopped garlic cloves
  • 3tbsp lemon juice
  • 2tbsp tahini
  • 1/2tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (optional for flavor)
  • 1/2tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2tsp cumin
  • 1/4tsp paprika
  • 1/4tsp salt
Servings: serving
Instructions
  1. Rinse the lentils to remove any impurities and indigestible phytic acid, which causes gas and bloating.
  2. In a pot, boil the water and add the lentils. Return to a boil, cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
  3. Take the pot off the heat and allow time for the lentils to cool. Meanwhile, in a pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Sprinkle with salt, cover and allow to continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes until the onion slices are caramelized.
  4. Add water as needed to keep the onions from burning.
  5. Turn off the heat and add the garlic while the pan is still hot. Wait about one minute or until the garlic is aromatic but not browned.
  6. Dump the onion/garlic mixture onto a cutting board and loosely chop the sliced onion into smaller pieces.
  7. Scoop into a bowl and add remaining ingredients, including the lentils.
  8. Stir until well combined. To make the dip more creamy, mash some of the lentils in the bowl with a fork, leaving some of them whole to add variety. Serve warm.
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Split Mung Bean and Pea Dip
Prep Time:
15minutes
Cook Time:
45minutes
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
  • 1cup peas, cooked
  • 1/2cup organic split mung beans, rinsed and cooked
  • 1/8cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/8cup green onions, chopped
  • 1 chopped garlic clove
  • 1 1/2tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4tsp salt
Servings: serving
Instructions
  1. Rinse your mung beans.
  2. Cook the split mung beans and peas according to the directions on the packages. Meanwhile, chop your basil, green onions and garlic clove. Allow beans and peas to cool.
  3. Strain liquid and dump the beans and peas into a food processor or high-speed blender. Add all the other ingredients and pulse until well combined.
  4. Add more lemon juice or salt to taste, depending on your preference. Refrigerate until cooled or serve at room temperature.
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Spinach Artichoke DipHummus may have brought new life to the bean dip craze, but these dips offer a variety of flavors, textures and beans to explore. Like hummus or any dip, you can play with ingredients and make it your own.

These are exceptional dips to share with family and friends as they are all gluten free, dairy free and many are soy free. If you are allergic to soy or have thyroid problems, you can easily substitute soy sauce in these recipes with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. You can make these fat free by removing the oil and tahini and using water or vegetable broth instead.

Use these recipes as dips for chips or vegetables, spread them onto your sandwich, or add a little water and pour over rice as the base for a stew or as a bean sauce. Regardless of how you choose to enjoy them, let us know what you think of these recipes in the comments below!

 —Nicole Manuel

Nicole Manuel, CPC is a certified life coach with a degree in economics and over five years of professional writing experience. Her goal is to help others discover ways to incorporate sustainable solutions that can improve their health and well-being on a budget. 

Sources:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/spinach-and-cannellini-bean-dip-recipe.html
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/heathers-cilantro-black-bean-and-corn-salsa
http://www.thetwokitchens.com/caramelized-onion-lentil-dip
http://www.thugkitchen.com/green_pea_and_garbanzo_bean_dip

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