Raw, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, and Refined Sugar–Free

If you are like me and no longer eat dairy, whether for health or ethical reasons, you know that the hardest part of this lifestyle change is the loss of yummy cheeses and cheese spreads.

I found there are a lot of raw vegan pimento recipes out there using cashews, bell peppers, lemon juice, and probiotic powder. Unfortunately, none of them tasted quite right to me and my family. In developing this recipe, my goal was to take the dairy-free pimento cheese experience to the next level, reflecting the depth, intensity, slight sweetness, and other flavour dimensions I remembered from regular pimento cheese dips. When I created this I was so happy, and am even happier to be able to share this delectable savoury treat with you—it’s an awesome dip. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked and well rinsed
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper, packed
• 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp. chopped onion
• 2–4 tbsp. lemon juice, to taste
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. miso (chickpea or soy)
• 1 tsp. New Roots Herbal Acidophilus Ultra (the contents of 5–6 capsules) or Ultra Max powder
• 1–1½ tsp. Himalayan salt, to taste
• ½ tsp. crushed hot red pepper flakes
• Black pepper, to taste
• ¼ tsp. New Roots Herbal Stevia Sugar or favourite sweetener (optional)

Instructions

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Serve as a dip with crudités, chips, or crackers, or as a filling in wraps.

HOT TIP: Stirred into quinoa or rice, or on your favourite gluten-free pasta, this dip can be used to instantly create a delicious cheesy side dish.

Makes about 3 cups.

Theresa Nicassio, PhD, Psychologist

Theresa is a wellness educator, radio host, and the award-winning author of YUM: Plant-⁠Based Recipes for a Gluten-⁠Free Diet.

TheresaNicassio.com