It was only a matter of time before I posted a vegan dill pickle dip here! If you’ve been here a while, you know that pickle anything is my scene. We’ve already got a chopped dill pickle salad recipe, a panzanella, and a potato salad, all loaded with pickle goodness. I figured it was time to branch the flavour out to vegan appetizers territory.
We use my favourite trick these days to bump up the creaminess while making this dip lighter on cashews: sautéed zucchini! Once sautéed until tender, the zucchini helps to make the texture of the dip super lush without contributing a strong flavour. Plus, more sneaky vegetables is always a win!
Pickles and brine are blended into the dip along with a whole bunch of my favourite flavour enhancers. We’re talking Dijon mustard, garlic, onion powder, coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and more.
Some Tips for Making This Dip:
- This dip tastes even better when you give it some extra time to “marinate” in the fridge. It will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can substitute the following for cashews: soaked macadamia nuts (soak at least 4 hours), soaked sunflower seeds, soaked pine nuts, or even cooked white beans if you don’t mind that slight bean-y flavour in your dip.
- I like to peel the zucchini first because it helps enhance the creamy colour of the dip. You can leave it on if you prefer though!
- I know that the touch of agave nectar seems random, but just that tiny hint of sweetness really balances out the tangy vibe here. You can leave it out if you’re avoiding added sugar.
- You can substitute coconut aminos with Tamari or regular soy sauce.
Hope that you give this super creamy vegan dip a chance! Fans of this one will also love my Dill Pickle Broccoli Slaw.
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Vegan Dill Pickle Dip
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus extra
- ½ medium yellow onion, sliced (about ½ cup sliced onion)
- 1 small zucchini, peeled and sliced (about ¾ cup sliced zucchini)
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- ½ cup chopped dill pickles, plus extra for garnish
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons pickle brine
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon agave nectar
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- fresh dill for garnish
Equipment
Notes
- This dip tastes even better when you give it some extra time to “marinate” in the fridge. It will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can substitute the following for cashews: soaked macadamia nuts (soak at least 4 hours), soaked sunflower seeds, soaked pine nuts, or cooked white beans if you don’t mind that slight bean-y flavour in your dip.
- I like to peel the zucchini first because it helps enhance that creamy colour of the dip. You can leave it on if you prefer though!
- I know that the touch of agave nectar seems random, but just that tiny hint of sweetness really balances out the tangy vibe here. You can leave it out if you’re avoiding added sugar.
- You can substitute coconut aminos with Tamari or soy sauce.
Instructions
- Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot, pour in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Swirl it around and add the onions. Sauté the onions until they are soft and browned, about 5 minutes. Reserve a couple tablespoons of the onions and place them on your cutting board. Transfer the rest to an upright blender.
- Place the skillet back on the heat. Add a bit more oil if necessary before adding the zucchini. Sauté the zucchini until soft. You don't want to get a ton of colour on the zucchini! Once it's soft, transfer it to the blender.
- To the blender, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, cashews, pickles, garlic, nutritional yeast, onion powder, dried dill weed, water, pickle brine, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, coconut aminos, lemon juice, agave nectar, salt, and pepper. Blend the mixture on high until completely smooth, about 1 full minute. Add more water by the tablespoon if you need to.
- Transfer the dill pickle dip to a bowl. Finely chop the reserved sautéed onions and add them to the dip. Finely chop an extra pickle as well and add it to the dip. Give everything a stir to combine. Cover the dip and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Serve the dip with extra swoops of olive oil on top, finely chopped pickles, and fresh dill. This dip will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I made this for a little work party and it is absolutely amazing. Highly recommend to any pickle lover!
Thanks for this review, Tasha! So glad you enjoyed the dip :)
-L
I haven’t commented on a blog for many many years, but god damn this looks and sounds so amazing I had to comment! Yummmmm