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.