Perfect last-minute dip recipe! Quick, Tasty, AND Healthy!

In a matter of minutes, I made a really tasty dip with ingredients I always have on hand – canned beans, garlic, plain yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley, this last ingredient being for optional garnishing.

Given I am writing this on the day before Christmas, I am thinking that there might be some folks out there panicking because they don’t know what to bring as a potluck offering to a family gathering or other sort of holiday get-together. WELL, look no further.  🙂

You can see the original recipe on Allrecipes.com (one of my favorite recipe sites) by clicking HERE.

And, here is my interpretation, which doubles the recipe, replaces curry powder with cumin, and has a few minor adjustments of the amounts of some ingredients upon the suggestions of some of the recipe reviews on the Allrecipes site.

Black Bean and Garbanzo Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1 14 or 15.5 oz can black beans, drained
1 14 or 15.5 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed high recommended
2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

Directions:
Place black beans, garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, yogurt, water, and garlic into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Season with the cumin powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

While perhaps not the most attractive looking dip (as you can see, a sprig or two of parsley can help with that), it has a wonderfully bright and light yet satisfying flavor and a nice texture.  And, with no tahini and little oil, it provides a healthier option than much of the standard holiday fare.

I am thinking I might try adding a 1/4 cup or so each of chopped fresh parsley and grated carrot to the mix next time to further boost the healthy factor.  But, as is, it is already a winner in my book — and my kitchen!