01 Mar Sue’s Cheesy Cashew Dip

Posted at 00:00h in Recipes by

Even though I’m not one to spend Sunday afternoons watching football, I like the idea of friends getting together, sharing good times and yummy “party” food. Cheesy, creamy dips and spreads are great finger food to be enjoyed with veggies, crackers or tortilla chips (the healthy ones of course).

Many of the ready-made dips have a lot of fillers and stabilizers which we can all do without. This dip is also dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and yet is loaded with healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals…not to mention that it’s tasty, too. I even tricked one of my son’s friends into trying it, and he gobbled it up, said he loved it, even though he HATES red peppers. (Shhhh…I didn’t tell him there are red peppers in this dip. Sneaky, sneaky.)

So, if you like cheesy dips, but are not a fan of some of the scary ingredients in pre-made dips and spreads, you may wish to give this a try. It’s really easy, and it will still blend up well even if you skip the pre-soaking of the cashews. Soaking the cashews helps to get rid of enzyme inhibitors which make some nuts and seeds harder to digest. Soaking also makes the nuts softer, so they blend a little easier. If you’re tight on time though, you can skip this step.

Nutritional yeast lends the dip its cheesy flavour, and it gives a nice B vitamin, mineral and protein boost. Nutritional yeast is a great staple with endless uses and really should be part of every pantry.

Sneaking in hemp seeds gives an additional protein and omega-3 boost without drastically altering taste or flavour. One of the easiest ways to lean towards more of a plant-based diet is to add hemp seeds and chia seeds into your routine. They are so versatile

Sue’s Cheezy Cashew Dip

1 cup raw cashews – soak for 4 hours, then rinse and drain well
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 – 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (raw not processed)
2 or 3 cloves garlic – minced
1 teaspoon good salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 small red pepper diced (approx 1 cup)

Blend above ingredients in food processor until well incorporated. Store in sealed container in fridge (if it lasts that long) 🙂