Vegetarian 7-Layer Dip

As the name suggests, the 7-layer dip is made of 7 ingredients layered in a dish. It is a popular Mexican appetizer to serve to a crowd. It is a make-ahead cold dip that is very easy to make in just a matter of minutes and is great for parties, potlucks, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or game days.

This is a vegetarian 7-layer dip recipe that is gluten-free and can be made vegan if you use dairy-free substitutes.

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
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• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

The base is made of seasoned refried beans which can be either made from pinto beans from scratch in the instant pot or you can use the store-bought one.

While using the store-bought refried beans, do ensure that it does not contain lard if you want to make the dip suitable for vegetarians. For seasoning, add some taco seasoning and red chili powder for spiciness.

Other ingredients are sour cream, salsa, guacamole, grated cheddar cheese, sliced olives, and green onion. You can use either store-bought guacamole and salsa, or make it fresh at at home.

It is best to use a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Either black olives or green olives can be used.

You might also enjoy baked pasta casserole, stuffed pasta shells, and vegetable lo mein recipes.

Instructions

Once you have all the ingredients, it is all about layering the ingredients and the dip will be ready in just under 10 minutes!

I have made the refried beans in the instant pot using dried pinto beans and soaking them overnight. Pressure cook the soaked pinto beans on high-pressure mode and cook them for 12 minutes. Once they are done, blend them into a paste using an immersion hand blender.

Add some butter, taco seasoning, and red chili powder to add flavor to the bean dip.

If you are using store-bought refried beans, you can warm it up and season it with taco seasoning and red chili powder. As the bean paste tends to thicken, you may have to add a tablespoon or two of water to make it of spreadable consistency.

In a deep baking dish, spread the seasoned refried beans paste into an even layer. Now pour dollops of sour cream and spread it over the bean layer followed by guacamole and salsa layers.

Finally, spread some grated cheese generously over it and then sprinkle some sliced olives and chopped green onions.

The dip is now ready to be served with tortilla chips, or veggies like celery, cucumbers, and carrots.

When you serve it to your guests, they can serve some individual portions on a small plate using a spatula and enjoy it with tortilla chips.

Substitutions

This vegetarian 7-layer dish is very versatile and you can make it your way to suit your taste or use the ingredients at hand.

• Refried beans - homemade refried beans or store-bought ones (without lard) will work well. You can also use black beans to make the bean paste.
• Veggies - instead of salsa, fresh chopped tomatoes can be used. Guacamole can be replaced by freshly sliced avocados. Fresh corn kernels mixed with taco seasoning can also be added as a layer.
• Cheese - cheddar cheese goes well with the dip but pepper jack or Colby jack will work well too.

Variations

This vegetarian 7-layer dip is gluten-free and a perfect appetizer or snack to serve to a crowd. You can easily make variations to make it appealing to your family and friends.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or pickled jalapeno pepper on the top layer to give a nice spicy flavor.
• Vegan - to make a vegan seven-layer dip, you can use vegan sour cream and cheese to make this dip vegan.

Equipment

You will only need a deep baking dish to make this 7-layer dip. For serving, a spatula comes in handy.

If you are making the bean paste at home using dried pinto beans then you will also need an electric pressure cooker like an instant pot. I have used the 3 qt. instant pot to cook the beans.

Storage

This 7-layer bean dip is a crowd-pleaser dish and will be gone in minutes even before you realize it. However, if you have any leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Due to sour cream and avocado, the dip should not be reheated and it is best served cold.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like

• Vegetable casserole
• Baked pasta
• Broccoli pasta
• Broccoli dip
• Hummus

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