This is a cashew & soy milk based dip.
Zesty Habanero Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
Dip Base
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk (6 fluid ounces. Soy milk curdles better than any other plant milk for this recipe.)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup raw cashews
Habanero-Pink Peppercorn Blend
- 2 habanero peppers (all seeds and membranes removed; it's recommended one handles these wearing gloves)
- 1 tsp pink peppercorns
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ + ⅛ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp granulated garlic
- 1½ tsp maple syrup
Instructions
The Dip Base
- Add all dip base ingredients to a bowl or directly to the blender jar to soak for 1-2 hours.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Blend, using a flat (spice) blade if possible, 1-2 minutes until smooth.
- Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover and continue refrigerating for several hours for dip flavors to meld and to start thickening. Dip is even tastier and thicker after resting a full day. This easily lasts over a week in the refrigerator.
Musings
Finding baseline foods for each season that bring me enjoyment has been a most powerful contributor to my successes in transitioning towards the plant-based lifestyle. I’m already looking forward to my plant-based liverwurst this spring/summer, but for now I’m loving jazzy veg casseroles (I’ll post a recipe some day, I make it by heart, but for now you can find my style on instagram), veggies and dips, pastas and broccoli, and warm bowls of congee (rice porridge). I’m branching out a bit with buddha/nourish/pokelicious/harbulary bowls, and absolutely loving it! It’s true what they say, eating more veggies turns to loving veggies more.
Pairing
This dip pairs with all the classic veggies —
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Snap peas
- Cukes
- etc.
Inspiration
The inspiration for this dip comes from a personal favorite dip mix from Winterport Co. dips in Maine, their habanero dip mix. Interestingly enough, I still enjoy that dip mix, and this tastes, well, a lot different from that dip. If you ever get a chance, I recommend trying their dips, even with this same dip base (that’s kind of why I separated it out, it’s flexible).
Anything Else
At the end of the day I just want something that tastes good and feels good and makes sense. Nuts and seeds aren’t the enemy, and when mixed with a bit of sour and/or sweet they can make the most delightful dips, dressings, and spreads. Don’t overthink it. Gravitate towards stuff you enjoy and manifest good things!