I love a dip for dinner situation, and this vegan red pepper dip hits all the flavour/texture points. It’s seriously creamy, perfectly spicy, and there’s umami qualities in the mix too. One fine dip! Perfect for a low or no-cook supper with lots of vegetables, crackers, fresh bread, maybe a vegan cheese or two, some olives… sounds pretty heavenly to me.
I always have more dip and vegan appetizer inspiration for you here and in my cookbook.
The base of this dip is your choice of soaked raw cashews, sliced almonds, or sunflower seeds. All options or a mixture work here. When the nuts/seeds combine with olive oil and a roasted pepper, the end result is so creamy, you’d swear there was some sort of dairy involved. I sauté shallots, chillies, and garlic with spices and that goes into the blender. Finally I add in some of my most relied on vegan flavour bombs: Dijon mustard, tomato paste, coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Just so good and lush!
More Creamy Vegan Dips:
- Vegan Jalapeño Popper Dip
- Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip with Fresh Za’atar
- Spicy Pepperoncini, Artichoke & Kale Dip
- Edamame Dip with Mint, Jalapeño & Lime
- Creamy Kale Pesto White Bean Dip
- Eggplant Dip with Toasted Walnuts, Lemon, Tahini & Yogurt
- Roasted Carrot, Harissa & Chickpea Dip
- The Ultimate Vegan Snack Board with 3 Dips/Spreads!
I topped mine with some chili-infused olive oil that we had on hand, an extra sprinkle of paprika and coarse salt, and torn up bits of fresh dill. Basic cut carrots and cucumbers and my favourite crackers these days are perfect for dipping. Enjoy friends :)
Silky & Spicy Vegan Red Pepper Dip
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 1 small hot chili of choice, seeded if you like and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus extra for serving
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 cup raw cashews, sliced almonds or sunflower seeds (or a mix!), soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- 1 roasted red pepper (homemade or from a jar)
- 2 tablespoons water (plus extra if needed)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon coconut aminos (or ½ teaspoon tamari soy sauce)
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- chopped herbs, for serving
Equipment
Notes
- I used a mix of cashews and sunflower seeds for the base of the dip here, but sliced almonds are another great option. Even pine nuts will work if you have access to them. You can also do all sunflower seeds for a nut-free dip.
- You can easily make this oil-free by water sautéing the shallot mixture and substituting the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with more water.
- So many great options for chillies depending on where you’re located and your heat preference! I used a fresh cayenne here, but a Fresno pepper would be great.
- The Simple Mills almond flour crackers are my obsession lately. Such a great dipper and perfectly seasoned!
Instructions
- Set a small sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, pour in the teaspoon of olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shallot, chili, and garlic to the pan and stir. Keep sautéing until there is some slight browning and the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes.¼
- Add the paprika and nutritional yeast to the pan and stir. Keep stirring and cooking until spices are fragrant. If spices are sticking to the bottom of the pan and browning too quickly, simply add a splash of water to loosen everything up. Once you've done that, take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- Add the sautéed shallot and spice mixture to an upright blender, along with the drained cashews/sunflower seeds/sliced almonds, roasted red pepper, water, lemon juice, tomato paste, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, coconut aminos, some salt and pepper, and the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil.
- Blend the mixture on high until completely smooth and creamy, about 1-2 full minutes. If you need to stop the blender's motor to scrape down the sides with a spatula, go right ahead! Similarly, if you're finding that the blades don't have enough liquid to get going, add additional water to the blender, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can get it all moving.
- Taste the dip to check it for seasoning. You may want more salt, more acidity in the form of lemon juice or vinegar, more spice, more nutritional yeast etc! Adjust to your liking if needed and blend it one more time.
- Serve the vegan red pepper dip with a swoop of olive oil on top, a sprinkle of paprika, and some chopped herbs if you like. The dip keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week.
Delish! I subbed out the hot pepper for a dollop of a fancy hot sauce.
looks like good recipe. considering it for thanksgiving
I cannot say enough good things about this recipe. It’s become my new go-to contribution at gatherings- it’s a hit every time!
Easy to make and wonderfully silky. I actually prefer this made a day before you serve it to really get the flavours working. I made your delicious sunshine everything crackers to go with it. Yum! Thank you from the French Alps x
Hi Laura! How crucial is it that we use sweet paprika over regular?
Hi Ruth,
Regular paprika is great! :)
-L
I’ve already made this recipe twice because it’s THAT good. My family loves it. Your recipes are always so well balanced and wonderful I keep coming back. Keep ruling, Laura!
I’m so glad that you like it, Hannah! Thanks for taking the time to leave this comment and review :)
-L
Delish! I plan to use the leftovers as a sandwich spread. Thanks, Laura!
What a beautiful plate to serve on a hot night ~ thank you