south-of-the-border party dip (vegan, oil free, added sugar free)

I could happily eat Mexican-style foods most days of the week. It’s one of the few cuisines that easily adapts to a plant-based diet without extraordinary effort or feeling like something is missing. Meat- and cheese-lovers might disagree, but as a former meat- and cheese-lover, this is my story and I’m sticking to it.

While this dip is made for the party scene, I also love it as a main, side or lunch any day of the week. It’s best when eaten within the first day, but can hold up in the fridge for a couple of days, although the avocado isn’t too happy about that.

This south-of-the-border party dip was inspired by one shared at a friend’s, but I “beefed” the recipe up with the addition of chickpeas plus a couple south-of-the-border ingredients: jalapenos and jicama.

If you’ve never tried jicama (pronounced hee-cama), it’s a root vegetable that has a pleasant crunchy texture and the flavor reminds me of apples, although not as sweet or pungent. To prepare it, all you do is peel it and slice as desired – for this recipe, I diced it. See the “Shop the Recipe” guide under the recipe for where you can find it.

This is a recipe where you can play with the ratios of ingredients and choose what to include and what to leave out, but of course, I recommend trying the whole kit and caboodle first as suggested in the recipe below. Since most of my family like foods on the mild side, I kept the jalapeno peppers to a minimum – really just enough to hint at some heat, but if you like things spicy, you’ll want to toss in more.

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South-of-the-Border Party Dip

Prep Time

15 mins

 

A hearty, refreshing dip that is easy to pull together especially for large gatherings or when you want to whip up a quick meal.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 12-14 green onions, diced
• 1-1.5 cups corn kernals
• 1-1.5 cups diced cherry tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 avocados, diced
• 1 cup, packed cilantro
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced fine (optional)
• 3/4-1 cup jicama, diced (optional)

Dressing Ingredients

• 2-3 T veggie stock
• 1-2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. With the exception of the avocado, add all the dip ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Add the avocado just before serving, coating it with extra lime juice to slow the browning.
   

2. Combine the dressing ingredients, pour over the dip and stir to coat.
   

Serve with organic tortilla chips or combine it with lettuce for a hearty salad.

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• I used Eden Organics black beans and chickpeas for this recipe. I love that they are unsalted! If you can’t find them in your local store, you can get them here.
• I always buy my corn organically because of GMOs in conventional corn. I get mine in bulk at BJs (a wholesale club), but Trader Joe’s also carries it. You also could look for the Woodstock brand in your local grocery store if they cater to an organic market. If you aren’t a member of BJs and want to check it out, use this link to sign up for a BJs membership and we’ll both get $25!
• I bought my jicama at Whole Foods, but you could also look for it at Mexican grocery stores or larger grocery stores with an expanded selection of fruits and veggies may carry it.