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Cuban Black Bean Dip

A low‑fat dip made from black beans, red onion, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 6 ingredients
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Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Cuban Black Bean Dip

Time1-1/2 hours

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the beans

  1. Soak the beans in water overnight.

  2. Drain the beans.

  3. Cook the beans in 4 cups of water for about 1‑1/2 hours or until tender.

  4. Drain the beans again.

Make the dip

  1. In a blender or food processor, combine the beans, 1 Tbsp chopped onions, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and garlic; blend until smooth.

  2. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Mix in the remaining onions.

Serve and store

  1. Place the dip in a serving bowl.

  2. Serve with toasted pita triangles and sliced veggies.

  3. Store in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

240Calories
10 gProtein
1 gFat
49 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Black Bean1/2 cup canned (120g) drained114
Orange Juice1 medium (131g)62
Red Onion1 medium (110g)44
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together17,451 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  3. Beans + garlictop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,935 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  4. Orange + clovetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,987 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  5. Beans + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,242 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Black beans
Provide the bulk and creamy body of the dip once cooked and blended.
Red onion
Adds sharp, pungent flavour that mellows with mixing and rests in the dip.
Balsamic vinegar
Adds acidity and a deep, slightly sweet tang that balances the earthy beans.
Orange juice
Adds brightness and a touch of sweetness that lifts the flavour.
Garlic
Adds pungent aroma and savoury depth to the dip.

The step that matters

Cook the beans until tender. Beans must be fully softened before blending, because undercooked beans stay grainy and firm, and the dip will not become smooth. Dried beans also need thorough cooking to be safe to eat.

Swap the orange

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beans, onion, vinegar, clove, garlic, pepper):

  1. Limefits better
  2. Avocadofits better
  3. Cherryfits better
  4. Orangethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beans, onion, vinegar, clove, garlic, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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