Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Black Bean Dip

Right now, as you’re reading this, (unless you’ve run across this months from now on Pinterest or Google…), I have my toes in the sand and a book in my hand on one of the loveliest beaches in South Carolina.  It’s vacation time…finally.

This summer has been a busy one!  We’ve relocated our family to a new house ten hours away from the last one, we’ve settled into said house and gotten into our new Indy groove.  The girls have gone to camps, and lessons, and made loads of friends along the way.  We’ve hosted guests from near and far and before we know it, school will be starting again in just one more week.

But, before it starts, we’ve squeezed in a vacation.  Which, is where I am right now.

I thought this recipe would be perfect to post during vacation week.  Why, you ask?  Well, it’s perfect “Fun in the Sun” food to munch on by the pool or at the beach house.  (Plus, if I post it, I can have the recipe handy in case I want to whip up a batch on the trip.)

I’ve been making this dip for years, and I found it on the back of a bag of tortilla chips!  If you look on the back of a bag of Mission Tortilla Strips, it’s there.  At least, it always has been.  If it’s not anymore, well, then at least we have it here.

The ingredients are simple:  A can of black beans, some roasted red peppers, a block of low-fat cream cheese, some taco seasoning, fresh lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro.

Everything goes into the food processor.

(See?  It’s perfect for vacation.  It really requires very little actual thinking.)

Turn on the food processor and let it whirl.  Once everything is the consistency you like, it’s ready to go!

I usually make it ahead of when I want to serve it and let it hang out in the fridge for a while, so the flavors can really come together.  It’s always a hit, every time I’ve served it up.  It’s fresh, and light, and if you don’t want to dip chips in it, it makes a great dip for veggies as well.

Happy Almost the End of Summer, Everyone!

Now, back to the beach…

CREAMY ROASTED RED PEPPER AND BLACK BEAN DIP

Adapted from Mission Chips