This is one of my favorite appetizers. It has a hint of sweetness, a pop of spice and a mix of textures. It’s my version of a clone recipe from So Long Saloon, a small restaurant near Fort Riley, Kansas.
Every time I move to a new town, I scope out the local (non-chain) restaurants and develop a list of favorite spots and repeat dishes, like this one. That’s one of the downsides of relocating with the Army every couple of years. I fall in love with certain menu items, only to have to leave them and crave them for years to come.
Well, not this dish. Before I left Fort Riley, I frequented So Long Saloon often. So often, in fact, that I was able to dissect the flavors and create my own clone recipe.
You can find the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce near the BBQ sauce in some groceries. A few companies make this nowadays, but I usually use Bronco Bobs, which can be found at Whole Foods. Bon appétit!
Raspberry Chipotle Black Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 block, 8-ozs. cream cheese
- 1/2 cup raspberry chipotle sauce
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Melt butter in small pot. Add chopped onion and sauté until brown. Remove from heat and place the onion in a bowl to cool.
- Dump the can of black beans into the pot. Add the salt and cumin. Stir over medium heat, mashing the beans as it cooks. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the liquid reduces and the beans have a smooth, yet chunky consistency. Remove from heat.
- Add the cream cheese to the bowl of onions and stir to combine.
- Place the cream cheese in the center of an oven-safe dish.
- Spoon the beans around the cream cheese.
- Spoon a well into the center of the cream cheese. Pour the raspberry chipotle sauce into the well.
- Add pepper jack cheese on top.
- Place in a 450-degree oven, until the cheese melts, and serve with tortilla chips.
- NOTE: You can make this in advance and pop it in the oven right before serving. Or you can also plate this onto a microwave-safe dish and warm it in the microwave, until the cheese melts.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m a loyal Jayhawk, but my BFF is a Wildcat (bridging divides since 2004) and she turned me on to this dip at So Long. I was just craving it and found this via Pinterest. Looks great—will be making it this weekend!!
I too am a fan of So Long Saloon in Aggieville. I agree with scoping out the local “non chain” places for those special one of a kind items. I am going to try this soon. My husband rolls his eyes every time we eat there because I practically perform a scientific analysis on it trying to figure it out. I thought it was cream cheese but hadn’t been able to quite figure out what was in the cream cheese. I love a raspberry chipotle compote (Forever Herbs, KC, MO) that I find in a local gift shop and think it is the same taste as So Long’s. Thanks so much for posting this!
I’ll have to order a bottle of Forever Herbs’ sauce. Thanks for the tip.
I have made it in a crockpot and basically just threw everything in minus the shredded cheese. It works best if the cream cheese is room temp. It turns bright purple and then at the very end I added the shredded cheese. It was a HUGE hit. I havent made it in ages but I’m pretty sure I doubled the beans. I have to make an appetizer for a Thanksgiving cook off and this may be just the recipe to make!
Great tip Kendra. Thanks for sharing.
Do you have any suggestions on how to make this in the crockpot? I would like to take this to a lunch function at work and wouldn’t be able to put it in an oven. Go Cats!
I’ve never tried it in a slow cooker. I would recommend tripling all of the ingredients. Then, saute the onions and combine them with the cream cheese. Then, throw everything into the slow cooker on low. The color will be different. It will be a purplish-gray creamy bean dip, but the flavors should be the same. I would probably use 2 cups of pepperjack cheese for extra goodness. Let me know how it turns out. Go Cats!
Can’t wait to make vegan version. We’ve loved their recipe from the first time we tried it four years ago!!
thanks for posting, it was really good.
I don’t know anything about the saloon but this looks delicious! 🙂
I can not wait to make this!! Thank you!!
Did you by any chance also create your own version of the fish tacos?? I’ve only eaten at So Long Saloon once before but I crave those tacos all the time!
I’ve never had a fish taco like that before and would LOVE a recipe to recreate them myself.
Nicole, I have never tried their fish tacos. I don’t think they were on the menu when I was there. Sounds like a good excuse for me to visit Kansas again 🙂
Here is my recipe for grilled fish tacos.
https://www.zestuous.com/2012/03/grilled-chilean-sea-bass-fish-tacos/
I would love a fish taco recipe like So Long’s also. Kite’s on the opposite corner also has an amazing fish taco.
Thanks a bunch for posting this! I crave this all the time but geting appetizers at So Long cuts into my liquor budget quite a bit. Will be making this asap.
THANK YOU ALSO!!!!! I went to K-State and will be making this ASAP. What changes have you made from the original recipe?
Thanks, Alex
Alex I never had a copy of the original recipe…so I don’t know how they actually make it. This is my rendition of all the flavors in the dip. Enjoy!
THANK YOU!!!! I went to K-state and about wet my pants when I saw the words So Long Saloon. I have been craving for the dip for a long time and finally have an opportunity to make it!! Can’t wait to try it, making it tonight for a small BBQ :).
You’re so welcome. Let me know how it turns out! Go Cats!