Black Bean Hummus

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Makes: 3 cups

The black beans pair nicely with the smokiness of the paprika in this dish. If you like the smokiness, feel free to add more paprika, but be careful as it can easily be overpowering; same goes for the red pepper.

Ingredients:
2 cans of black beans – drained, or 2 ½ cups cooked dried beans
Juice of half a small lime – about 1 tbs
1/3 cup cilantro torn into pieces or roughly chopped
1 clove garlic – peeled and roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt – more to taste if needed
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper or ½ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup water
1/2 a red bell pepper seeded and cut into small pieces - for topping

Directions:
Place all ingredients except for bell pepper, in blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. If the mixture still seems too thick, add a little more water 1 tbs at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Place in a serving bowl and top with chopped red pepper. Serve with your favorite chips (I prefer corn chips for this dip), crusty bread, or veggies. Enjoy!