This chipotle white bean spread takes just five minutes to prepare but is so full of flavour that you’ll want to put it in everything. It’s a great thing to have on hand to dip pita bread or crackers in, spread on sandwiches, wraps or burgers, or dollop on veggies straight off the grill.

This dip has been a staple in our household for years now and it was THE recipe that introduced me to the magical chipotle pepper for the first time.

I’m well-known as a lover of all things spicy and so obsessed with imparting smokiness into my food that I devised a cheap and easy way to barbecue in my kitchen .

A can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce delivers the perfect combination of intense, fiery heat with deep, flavourful smokiness.

Just the adobo sauce alone is so full of flavour that I’ve successfully used it to replace the liquid smoke when marinating tofu bacon and smoky mushrooms .

So clearly something as boring as white beans can be made into something wonderful with the addition of chipotle peppers.

Chipotles are used primarily in Mexican cooking (they’re jalapeno peppers which have been ripened until red and then smoked) and combine well with other strong Mexican flavours like lime and cumin.

That means that this chipotle white bean spread is a great addition to nachos, soft tacos and burritos.

I especially love it for making vegan quesadillas as it sticks the two tortillas together and holds the filling in place without any need for cheese.

But more often than not we take this as a dip. Fresh, cool veggies are great to counterbalance the heat of the chipotles as is pita bread.