Southwestern Layered Bean Dip

Rating: 4.43 stars
21 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 11
  • 4 star values: 8
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Plenty of black beans, salsa and chopped fresh vegetables mean a healthy amount of dietary fiber in this Tex-Mex layered dip. We use reduced-fat sour cream along with full-fat (and full-flavored) cheese to make the dip lighter without compromising great taste. Be sure to have lots of baked tortilla chips on hand when you serve it.

EatingWell Test Kitchen
Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2007
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Combine refried beans, black beans, scallions, salsa, cumin, chili powder and jalapenos in a medium bowl. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish; sprinkle with cheese.

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  • Microwave on High until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot, 3 to 5 minutes.

  • Spread sour cream evenly over the hot bean mixture, then scatter with lettuce, tomato, avocado and olives (if using).

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To serve, continue with Steps 2 & 3.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Per Serving:
145.2 calories; protein 7.4g 15% DV; carbohydrates 15.2g 5% DV; exchange other carbs 1; dietary fiber 5.2g 21% DV; sugars 1.9g; fat 6.7g 10% DV; saturated fat 2.9g 15% DV; cholesterol 12.3mg 4% DV; vitamin a iu 863.7IU 17% DV; vitamin c 5.2mg 9% DV; folate 43.1mcg 11% DV; calcium 120.1mg 12% DV; iron 1.6mg 9% DV; magnesium 13.1mg 5% DV; potassium 254.6mg 7% DV; sodium 331.9mg 13% DV; thiamin 0.1mg 6% DV.
Exchanges:

1 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 fat

Reviews (21)

Read More Reviews
21 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 11
  • 4 star values: 8
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
Cindy
Rating: 5 stars
07/24/2017
Very easy to make and very tasty. Zapped the bean mixture & cheese and spread the sour cream the night before. Prior to serving time spread the shredded lettuce and chopped tomato and avocado then popped back into the fridge until time to eat. Really good. Read More
Lynnefair
Rating: 5 stars
05/24/2017
I made a pizza with this recipe: I mixed the first 6 ingredients and microwaved. I put a flatbread in the toaster oven to crisp. When crisp I put cup of the bean mixture over the flatbread sprinkled with cheese and added my preferred toppings; today they were jalepenos avocado and cilantro. It was delicious and I used Joseph's Multi-grain Flatbreat that had only 100 calories for the whole thing. Filling and calorie friendly if you tailor the toppings to your dietary budget! Read More
mirmermur
Rating: 4 stars
04/30/2017
HUGE volume! This is so tasty though! I didn't have enough space in the dish for lettuce (as I saw someone else commented that it was not necessary). I had olives but totally forgot to add them. So I still have a can of olives I can use for something else. Great snack my friends loved it and I left them with the leftovers as they said it would be good inside of a burrito.:) Read More
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ROBERTA FATUR
Rating: 3 stars
02/04/2015
Vegan Version; I make dry beans in slow cooker as I like to add my own seasoning and veggies no fat added! I add the cheese to the warm beans before I mash them. I use Diya cheeses Tofutti cream cheese and Better Than sour cream. Even my non vegan friends love this! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
02/03/2015
Great bean dip! I made this for Super Bowl Sunday and it was great! It was so easy to throw together and only took a few minutes. My only problem was that I made the whole recipe for two people so I had a ton leftover. And by the time we were done with it the juice from the diced tomatoes made everything runny and the avocados turned brown so leftover were not an option. But my fault for making the whole thing. I would definitely make this again for a larger crowd! Pros: Quick easy Cons: NULL Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
02/01/2015
Delicious and healthier! Just substitute 0% plain greek yogurt for the sour cream and this dish is healthy delicious and vegetarian friendly. Will be making this more than once! Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
01/15/2014
Healthy Fat Most of the fat content is from the avocado which is very healthy! Read More
HealthyGEO
Rating: 4 stars
05/02/2013
Made a huge dip. Healthy and substantial! I made this and brought it with me to a dinner party of 8 people as an appetizer. It was a big hit! I used low fat sour cream and low fat cheddar cheese. Nobody knew the difference. It was a very large dip and I ended up with plenty of leftovers which were perfect for fajitas the next day! Next time I will make it a little more spicy. I added more cheese than what was recommended. I also didn't find black beans so I used a can of mixed beans. Ripe avocados were key! Delicious! Pros: Healthy great taste filling Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
01/29/2013
I use Dannon Plain Yogurt & love it. If you want it thicker you can strain it in the fridge over night. I used to use plain old muslim that I had washed with bleach and then rinsed in vinegar to strain yogurt to make it thicker. I do not get to eat this great every day so I am not worried about it. I prefer yogurt to fat free stuff because they always put other icky stuff in to make it stay creamy & thick.... ugh go for the fat just once is what I say. Grinning now so don't beat me up. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
01/23/2013
Great Dip for any party Some people are saying this dip isnt healthy enough but there are ways to make it better. I sub Nonfat Greet Yogurt for the Sour Cream and use a reduced fat cheese. As for the other toppings I put a 15 calorie/serving salsa lettuce avocado and any other toppings on the side so that people can add what they want to their plates. Also take corn tortillas and cut into triangles toss in 1 Tbsp canola oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake them @ 400 degrees for about 10min or until crisp and golden brown. Not only are the homemade chips better for you..they taste a lot better than the bags at the store! I also like to serve it with Veggie Sticks. Pros: Lots of healthy options to sub and swap Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
05/29/2012
Good healthy appetizer Nice presentation. No way would this serve 12. Also I would omit the romaine. Pros: Pretty easy to prepare and can be prepared ahead. Cons: Needs more flavor. Spicy beans would be a good addition. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
02/04/2012
Great Snack You have to think that somewhere else this would be at least 500 calories. And fat is not your enemy people. You need fat in small quantities. And I believe 1/2 cup is appropriate because you have to consider that most people have about half a dozen dishes for their superbowl parties. If you are picking into a buffet you need to keep to smaller serving sizes to keep the waist line in check. Pros: Low Calorie Low fat Cons: Refried Beans not the best for you Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I made this last night for a few friends who came over. Let me put it to you this way there were only 5 of us and the ENTIRE thing was gone in about 20 mins! It was so good and the guys had no clue it was a healthier version of what they were use to. One of them even commented "I've never had this type of dip hot before it's usually served cold. This is SO MUCH BETTER!" Kudos to Eating Well! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Loved this dip I find it hard to believe it is in anyway good for me. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Made this for our family Super Bowl party. Super yummy! My tweaks were (1) not using prepared salsa (I just added a couple tomatoes 1/2 red onion 3 Tbsp Cilantro 1 lg. clove garlic minced and juice of 1 lime) and (2) we're not into "spicy" so we did not use jalapenos and I only used 1/4 tsp chili powder and upped the cumin to 3/4 tsp. My entire family loved it!!! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I made this for a potluck Super Bowl party and accidentally left the recipe sitting on the counter after assembling the toppings. By the end of the party someone had made photocopies of the recipe and distributed them around to everyone. I received huge compliments throughout the party. The funny thing is I forgot to add the chili powder and cumin and people still raved about it. Wait til I remember to add the spices next time....will be an even greater hit. Quite a few of the people were on that healthy F.A.S.T. diet so this dish was perfect....for those watching their calories and everyone else too! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
The only bad thing about this dip was that because it was heated and had dairy I didn't dare eat the leftovers after it sat out for the whole Superbowl. Next time I need to move things into the fridge sooner so we can enjoy this dip twice because it's so delicious! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
This dip was the highlight of our early July 4th BBQ. 6 adults polished all but a tiny bit of it off in very little time. The changes I made were: 1. Served it cold (it was in the 90's a very humid so I wasn't in the mood for a warm dish) 2. sprinkled cilantro over the top (i have fresh growing in my backyard) 3. used the leftover jalapeno slices to garnish the top I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dip! Will probably use more jalapenos next time as I like things very spicy. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
I would like to note that the serving size calls for 1/2 cup per person. That is half a fist per person. I am guessing that very few people at the Superbowl parties kept their dipping to that small amount. you could pick up that amount in three of four tortilla chips. I find it disingenuous when healthy cooking magazines get their calorie counts down by cutting the portions to sizes that no average person would eat. I think that the recipe sounds quite healthy and even if the portions were increased to one cup per person which is far more realistic it would be a fine addition for a party compared to what it might be if all full fat ingredients were used at much higher portions. I just want Eating Well and other magazines to be real in making nutrition calculations. Read More
kris.chang@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
I absolutely agree about the unrealistic portion size. The dip was delicious but 7 grams of fat per half a cup is still not what I would call a "low-fat" snack. But.. DELICIOUS!:) Read More
pima
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
Delicious I used the fat free sour cream and left off the avocados to decrease the fat content (a medium avocado has 31 grams of fat!--albeit 'good' fat). It was a complete hit. Read More
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