Prepare your fresh ingredients. Dice onion, tomato, chop garlic and cut jalapeno small. Also, keep the chopped cilantro ready.
Heat up a skillet with olive oil (or any other healthier cooking oil), and sauté onions soft over a medium heat setting.
Stir in garlic and jalapeno and cook for a minute or two, retaining the same heat setting.
Stir in tomato dice and saute as well over a medium flame for a minute or two.
Temporarily reduce the heat setting. Stir in black beans, season with salt, black pepper, and cumin, and pour in half of the water quantity.
Increase the heat again to medium and stir occasionally. Cook it down and reduce.
Pour remaining water, mix and keep on cooking down. The ingredients will soften and the flavors will develop.
Reduce the heat at the end, cook, and stir to avoid beans sticking to the pan. You can gently mash some beans with your cooking spoon. Reduce dip to your desired consistency.
Take from the heat and mix in lime juice and fresh chopped cilantro.
Serve up hot, warm, or cold with a dipper of your choice as a party appetizer.
Video
Notes
It's a spicy dip so peppers are added but you can skip it. To make it mild, add 1 teaspoon paprika instead. You can also use other hot fresh peppers or dried cayenne pepper.
1 can of black beans equal 8.5 oz or 240 grams drained. You can choose to use soaked and cooked black beans or canned beans. I used canned because I think the dip turns out better with canned beans.
Serve up with a dipper of your choice. I like this black bean dip with nachos, but chips, crackers, or veggie dippers are great too.