Needing to bring something to our annual street party last weekend, I decided to make Mexican layered dip. While I’ve always adored this dip, I did wonder how it would be received in London.
There is something slightly 1970s “hostess-with-the-mostest” about it. And despite having Mexican in its name, it seems unlikely to have originated south of the Rio Grande.
That said, when it is made with good quality ingredients, it is very tasty thing indeed – and it went down a storm.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is to go easy on the salt – those layers add up.
Mexican layered dip
- 2 cups refried beans, tinned or homemade
- 2 ripe avocadoes
- juice of a lime
- 1 cup thick sour cream or crème fraiche
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- chilli powder, to taste
- 2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced
- 2-3 green onions, sliced thinly crosswise
- 1/2 cup pitted black olives, chopped
- 1/4 cup coriander, chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- tortilla chips, to serve
- Form the refried beans into a mound in the centre of a plate.
- Mash the avocados with the lime juice, add a pinch of salt, then spread over the beans.
- Season the sour cream (or crème fraiche) with cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and chilli powder. Carefully spread the mixture over the avocado layer.
- Mix together the tomatoes, green onion, olives and coriander. Press it into the sour cream, covering it entirely.
- Cover the vegetables with grated cheddar cheese. Chill for at least half an hour.
- Serve with tortilla chips.
Ten More Bites 
Excellent idea for a party! 🙂
Delicious — David makes this quite often, and it never looks quite so pretty as this! Looks so good with your flowers 🙂
Thanks Den — I was inspired by those Romanian Salata de boeuf.
Oh my, Andrea, you did upscale the presentation of this 70s Classic! Very pretty and I know it will be a tasty version. Took me a few years to learn to add the lime juice immediately to the mashed avocado so that I wouldn’t have a brown mess.
Thanks Margo — certainly looks prettier for staying green!
Yours looks really good & much different to the type wendy made I’ll have to try it soon as we (-Liam) really like this