Category: Vegan Dips

by betsy

Healthier Buffalo Chick-un Dip (vegan/plant-based)

Dip for dinner? Heck yea!

I’m not sure why I was craving (plant-based) Buffalo wings for Sunday night’s dinner, but I was. Maybe it was all the buzz about Juneteenth on Friday with picnic fare.

But, we went to an unrelated party Saturday night with a creamy dip I couldn’t eat, and I love dip for dinner. So my craving shifted to the uber popular Buffalo Dip with chickpeas. But, I didn’t want all the cheese, as shredded cheddar is not part of the traditional Buffalo “wing” experience.

Neither are white beans, but I opted for pureed cannolini beans as the base. Then I made a simple vegan Buffalo Sauce and whisked it in.

I could have then stirred in vegan blue cheese dressing, but I opted for a little more restraint: 2 tablespoons each plant-based cream cheese and sour cream plus garlic and onion powders and minced parsley. The blue cheese would come at the end.

For texture contrast and still more protein, I stirred in diced chick-un and chickpeas. But because I am a fried chick-un or cauliflower wing gal, but didn’t want to use a processed fried product, I sprinkled fried onions over the top before baking. The ones of green bean casserole fame are plant-based!

When my dip emerged from the oven, bubbly, tangy, and spicy, I crumbled Follow Your Heart feta over the top. It is a good substitute for their blue cheese, which I didn’t have on hand.

Lastly, I sprinkled on a little more parsley, and I served it with celery sticks, natch. And a nonalcoholic Mich Ultra Zero.

Dip dinner done right!

Healthier Buffalo Chick-un Dip
Yield: 4-6 sevings as a meal

1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
3 tablespoons hot sauce like Frank’s (I used Sriracha)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (not sauce)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Liquid Aminos
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1-15 ounce can cannolini beans, drained and pureed (use food processor, blender, or smoothie maker like a Magic Bullet)
1-15 ounce can chickpeas; well drained
2 cups chopped faux chick-un (I use Morning Star frozen strips, thawed in microwave)
Topping: approximately 1 cup crispy fried onions (most brands in a can or package are vegan, but check ingredients)
Garnishes: a couple tablespoons finely chopped parsley and about 1/4 cup crumbled vegan blue cheese or feta
Accompaniment #1: celery sticks
Optional accompaniment #2: non-alcoholic beer (I enjoy Michelob Ultra with this dish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch baking dish. Whisk together first 9 ingredients until completely combined to make Buffalo Sauce. Whisk sauce into pureed beans. Stir in chickpeas and diced chick-un. Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish, and sprinkle top evenly with fried onions. Bake for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Cover with foil if onions start to brown too quickly. Remove from oven, sprinkle with feta/blue cheese and more parsley, and serve with celery sticks and a nonalcoholic beer, if desired.

#buffalowings #buffalodip #veganrecipeshare #plantbasedrecipeshare #dipfordinner
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by betsy

Spinach Skinny Dip with a Southwestern Vibe (vegan/plant-based)

Yield: approximately 3 cups

A recent student trip to center city Philadelphia and many meals at Reading Terminal Market right next to our hotel inspired this dip. In particular, it was an order of vegan onion rings served with chipotle mayo at Fox & Son Fair Food that did it. That dipping sauce was face-plant worthy, but I kept imagining it with spinach along with onion. I had barely unpacked my suitcase at the end of the trip than I was in the kitchen, whipping up this Spinach Skinny Dip!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
Pinch sea salt
12-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
12-ounce package frozen riced cauliflower (or a second package of frozen spinach)
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup vegan mozzarella or similar white vegan cheese
1/4 cup vegan shredded parmesan (I like Follow Your Heart)
2 chilies in adobo, minced + a little adobo
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional: juice of 1/2 to 1 lime, to taste
Accompaniments: potato or corn chips, raw vegetable strips, toasted pita triangles, or the like

Note: if you really want that onion ring decadence that inspired the dip, top it with a few canned fried onions, you know, of green bean casserole fame. Check to make sure they are plant-based, but they usually are.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch salt, and saute, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and lightly golden. Break up cauliflower into skillet, and stir until thawed and warm through. Repeat with spinach. Stir in remaining ingredients until cheeses are melted. Taste, adjust seasoning if desired, and serve immediately with chips, raw vegetables, and/or toasted pita.

vegan #veganism #veganrecipes #plantbasedrecipes #thebloomingplatter #foodstylist #recipedeveloper #foodphotography

@veganchefs
@vegan_community

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by betsy

Layered Asian Dip with a Twist (vegan/plant-based)

Iterations of this recipe abound online. This is my contribution to the line-up. Among other twists, my secret sauce is a little vegan mayo in the Asian “chicken” salad on top.

All the recipes I have seen flavor the cream cheese. But there are so many flavors, colors, and textures in the sauce, salad layer, and garnishes that I feel plain cream cheese is the perfect, tangy, pure white layer to serve as the base.

I love to serve this dish as a side with heated Nasoya Plantspired brand beef, either Korean BBQ or Gojuchang style.

Note: Make the salad layer at least 30 minutes or up to several hours before you plan to serve.

Layered Asian Dip

Yield: 8 servings

8 ounces chicken flavored seitan or something similar, diced or shredded (I like Tofurky Chick’n)
8 ounces diced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup diced bell pepper (I used green)
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 tablespoon roasted or tuxedo sesame seeds
2 tablespoons vegan mayo
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon riced wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2-8 ounce packages vegan cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sweet and sour sauce or Thai sweet chili sauce

Optional: freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnishes:
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped roasted and lightly salted peanuts
2 tablespoons tuxedo sesame seeds

Accompaniment:
Vegan rice crackers

In medium bowl, stir together first 10 ingredients and refrigerate covered for at least 30 minutes or several hours.

Spread cream cheese in a shallow approximately 8 to 10-inch bowl or plate. Spread with sauce. Top wirh seitan mixture. Garnish as desired with green onions, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Serve with vegan rice crackers.

#vegan #veganism #veganrecipes #plantbasedrecipes #thebloomingplatter #foodstylist #recipedeveloper #foodphotography @veganchefs
@vegan_community
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by betsy

Vegan & Plant-Based Spero Vegan GOAT Cheese More of a BLUE (Review + Recipe)

Roasted Butternut Spread (recipe at bottom)

Recently, Spero Foods generously shared some of their sunflower-based products with me after I happily agreed to review their goat cheese alternative, The Goat.

I was excited to sample it–the fresh, modern packahing is appealing–but I wouldn’t say it is the “greatest of all time,” though It certainly has some merit.

I wanted to try it first without reading any reviews. My taste test revealed a creamy, but textured, product. However, I did not find that it tasted like the goat cheese that I recall from my pre-vegan days. Rather it tasted strongly–very strongly–of blue cheese.

Some of the reviews I later read raved about it’s exact match with goat cheese. Others shared my view that it tasted like blue cheese, and still others were much less kind about the flavor, the texture, and the aroma.

I tasted it plain and enjoyed it as a blue cheese-flavored spread, but then I made a Butternut Squash Spread with it. It was a little bit too robust in its flavor for the roasted butternut squash, so it would probably better complement something equally assertive, say a piquant Buffalo sauce.

I would buy the product, but I would buy it intending to use it more like a blue cheese. And I encourage you to see what you think.

Think above that comes broken, try this:

The Goat (Plant-Based Goat Cheese)

Roasted Butternut Spread

2 cups diced roasted butternut squash
1/4 cup vegan goat cheese, blue cheese, ricotta, or cream cheese
Leaves from 1-4 inch piece fresh rosemary
2 large fresh sage leaves, torn in half
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Garnish: fresh herbs and nuts, plain or candied

Process all ingredients together, except 1 tablespoon olive oil, in bowl of food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Transfer to serving dish, make a swirl in center, drizzle with remaining olive oil, garrnish with fresh herbs and nuts as desired, and serve with crackers, toasts, or fresh vegetables.

#sperofoods #veganappetizer #plantbasedappetizer #vegancheese #veganspread #plantbasedspread

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by betsy

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Salad Dip aka Desperation Dip (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: approximately 1 1/2 cups

You know those weeks: full to the brim at work and in the evenings and bracketed by similarly packed weekends of entertaining, yet you invited new friends for Friday happy hour in a rare moment of downtime. Then, Friday arrives, and you realize you have nothing more substantial to serve them than cashews and olives.

This is the dip for THOSE times. On our lunch buffet at school this week was a Buffalo Chicken Salad, creamy, not chunky. The staff prepares inspired vegan food for me, but this was not and I abstained. But I have been fantasizing about it, so I dashed into the grocery on the way home, picking up the ingredients along with everything we needed to host Bob’s father’s 90th(!) birthday party and his sister’s 60th–they were born on the same day–on Sunday. Whew!

Please enjoy even when you aren’t harried or maybe especially then:

1/4 to 1/3 cup diced red onion

4 celery hearts, cut into 1-inch chunks

8 ounces chick-un substitute (I use Tofurky Sesame-Garlic Chick’n)

2 to 3 tablespoons mayo (I use Walden Farms no-calorie mayo, but use what you love)

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 tablespoon wing sauce or Sriracha

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Optional garnishes: sprig of herbs, green or black olive, crumbles of plant-based blue cheese or blue cheese dressing

Accompaniments: celery sticks, cucumber slices, crackers, or sturdy chips

Place onion and celery in food processor and pulse to coarsely chop. Add chick-un and pulse until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until mixture comes together with a creamy-course texture. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, garnish as desired and serve with vegetables, crackers, and chips.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegansofinstagram #vegansoffacebook #vegansofvirginia #plantbasedbuffalochicken #veganbuffalochicken #plantbaseddip #vegandip

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by betsy

Queso Blanco: Warm, Luscious Cheese Dip (vegan, plant-based, GF)

Vegan and plant-based queso blanco is typically made with cashews and potatoes, but mine is made with cashews and cauliflower for fewer calories and loads of nutrition. Served with plantain chips, it is my new obsession.

Yield: approximately 4 cups

12 ounces cauliflower florets
2 cups raw cashews
4 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Juice of 1 medium lemon
2 tablespoons brine from a jar pickled jalapeños
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons white miso
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4.5 ounce can chopped green chilies with juice
Garnish: Fresh cilantro and finely diced bell pepper (I like tri-color)
Accompaniment: plantain or tortilla-style chips; also delicious served over Mexican dishes like enchiladas, Quesadillas, and nachos

Place cauliflower, cashews, water, and sea salt in a medium saucepan and gently boil until very tender and all but about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water has evaporated.  Carefully transfer to food processor or high speed blender and add all remaining ingredients except green chilies.  Process for several minutes or until very smooth.  Rinse out saucepan, pour in cauliflower mixture, green chilies and juice, and heat through for a couple minutes over medium or medium-low heat, stirring frequently.  Garnish with bell peppers and cilantro, and serve with chips or spooned over the Mexican dish of your choice.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegansofinstagram #vegansoffacebook #vegansofvirginia #plantbasedcheesedip #vegancheesedip #plantbasedcheesesauce #vegancheesesauce #plantbasedquesoblanco #veganquesoblanco

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by betsy

A Pair of Sensational Summer Dips/Salsas/Salads: Black Bean & Peach + Sweet Corn (vegan/ plant-based)

If summer gives you peaches and corn…

Last night, Bob and I hosted an impromptu happy hour retirement party for a dear friend, Linda Francis, who finally took the plunge with a swandive out of our school system and into Virtual Virginia as a history teacher.

Our easy menu is as summary as it gets with Claudia Cksimano, a retired teacher friend, and her husband bringing the broccoli salad from my Blooming Platter cookbook. I contributed I a purchased baba ghannoush, served in a martini glass, along with a Black Bean and Peach Salsa and what we fondly refer to as David’s Corn Dip. He was a guest at the party but had to work during the day, so I did the honors and he approved.

On the side, I served sliced cucumber and orange bell pepper strips, as well as two healthy- ish types of chips: a nacho-flavored cauliflower triangular chip and a round Garden of Eaten chip made of chickpeas and such.

All of it was a huge hit and I am pleased to share the new recipes here.

Black Bean and Peach Salsa

Yield: 8 appetizer or 4 side salad servings

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 medium peaches, pitted and diced

1/2 mecium yellow or red onion, diced

1/4 cup favorite salsa, drained

1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Several hours before serving, combine all ingredients and refrigerate until serving time. Serve with cucumber slices or your favorite chips or crackers. This is also delicious served as a side salad.

David’s Sweet Corn Dip (cold or hot)

Yield: 8 appetizer or 4 side salad/side dish servings

3 cups fresh corn kernels, any variety, or 1-15.5 oz can yellow corn + 1-15.5 oz can white corn, drained

1/4 cup grated white vegan cheese, like mozzarella style

1/4 cup grated vegan cheddar cheese

1/4 cup favorite salsa, drained

1/4 cup vegan sour cream

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Walton Farms no calorie)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until serving time. Serve with cucumber slices or your favorite chips or crackers. This is also delicious served as a side salad or hot side dish. For the latter, simply microwave until bubbly.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegansofinstagram #vegansoffacebook #vegansofvirginia #plantbaseddip #vegandip #plantbasedcorndip #vegancorndip #plantbasedblackbean #veganblackbean

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by betsy

Creamy Coconut Lentils with Hot Chili Oil 2 Ways! (Vegan & Plant-based Dip and Burger)

Creamy Coconut Lentils with Hot Chili Oil Two Ways : Dip and Burger!

Hit chili oil/hot chili crisp is my new jam. I can’t stop creating new ways to enjoy it.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, slivered or diced
2 to 3 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 to 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound dry lentils (I used green), rinsed, drained, and picked over
1 tablespoon hot chili crisp (I purchase at Kroger on Asian aisle) or hit chili oil
4 to 5 cups water
4 bouillon cubes or 4 teaspoons vegetable base
1/3 cup coconut milk (I used light)

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat oil to sizzling over medium. Add onion, green onion, and soy sauce, and saute, stirring frequently, until soft. Stir in garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add all remaining ingredients except coconut milk and simmer 20 minutes or so until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in coconut milk and heat through.

Poached Garlic and Ginger in Hot Chili Crisp:
1 tablespoon hot chili crisp or oil
4 to 5 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 inch ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced

Place all ingredients in small dish or cup, cover with plastic wrap, and poach in microwave for 30 seconds to one minute or until tender.

To serve as dip with wonton chips:

Cut vegan wonton wrappers into triangles and deep fry in oil heated to about 375 degrees just until golden brown. Drain well and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Serve lentils topped with poached garlic and ginger slices and wonton chips.

To serve as Lentil Burgers with Hot Chili Crisp Slaw:

2 cups Creamy Coconut Lentils with Hot Chili Crisp, cooked until most of moisture is evaporated or absorbed
1 cup old fashioned oats, raw
1 bag (approximately 14 ounces) shredded slaw mix
3 to 4 tablespoons vegan mayo (I use Walton Farms no calorie)
Poached Garlic and Ginger in Hot Chili Crisp

Combine Creamy Coconut Lentils with old fashioned oats and set aside for oats to absorb moisture. Meanwhile, combined mayo with Poached Garlic and Ginger in Hot Chili Crisp to taste. In large bowl, combine dressing with slaw mixture and chill until serving time.

Form lentil mixture into 8 patties approximately 3/4 inch thick. In a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray, pan fry, compacting with spatula, for about 2 minutes on each side over medium heat or until they develop a golden brown crust. Serve atop a mound of slaw, with or without a toasted bun, garnished as desired. I used red bell pepper strips, dill pickles, baby kale leaves, and lightly salted and roasted cashew halves.

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by betsy

Grilled Corn & Sweet Chili Aioli Dip (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 2 servings

Dinner time arrived last night before I had a plan. Suddenly, I was famished.

While Bob deep fried pita triangles–only 30 seconds at 375 degrees–I opened the fridge to discover we had 3 cobs of grilled corn and sweet chili aioli: approximately equal parts commercially prepared sweet chili sauce and vegan mayo (I use Walton Farms no-calorie mayo…so I can have deep fried pita triangles) with a little fresh lime juice. So I whipped this together in a couple of minutes.

Grilled Corn Dip with Sweet Chili Aioli

Grilled corn cut from 3 cobs

6 Tri-color cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters or sixths

2 tablespoons, thinly sliced green onion

1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro

Approximately 2 tablespoons sweet chili aioli or to taste (or 1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise plus 1 tablespoon prepared sweet chili sauce and a squeeze of lime juice)

Sea salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl, stir together with a fork, and serve with fried pita triangles, chips, crackers, or the vegetables slices and sticks of your choice. If not serving immediately, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegancorndip #plantbaseddip #vegandip #plantbasedcorndip

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