Beet Cashew Dip with Crudités

In honor of Earth Month, our friend Emily from Recipes to Nourish, is sharing a stunning recipe that is the perfect and yummy way to celebrate our Earth!

This delicious beet cashew dip is smooth and creamy, full of flavor, absolutely gorgeous, and perfect for spring celebrations. It’s quite the eye-pleasing show stopper served with seasonal crudités.

Naturally vibrant pink and so pretty, this dip always has people asking about the stunning, bright color. Where does the color come from? Beets! They seem pretty fitting for the month that we celebrate our Earth. They’re grown in the ground, have a lovely earthy flavor and produce the most beautiful color!

I absolutely love beets. They also happen to be one of my favorite things to eat. I try to incorporate them into as many meals as I can.

Snacky-type food with dippy things is always fun. Who doesn’t love to dip yummy foods into special creamy dips? This type of meal is usually something that is loved by all and always popular at gatherings.

Cashew dip is one of my favorite savory dips to make, especially when sweet beets are added into the mix. It’s absolutely creamy, but made without dairy. Soaked cashews make the base for this tasty dip. After they’ve been soaked they blend up perfectly and create a super smooth texture.

The beets make the dip the most beautiful color. They pair perfectly with the nutty cashew flavor and the bold flavors like fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic and nutritional yeast.

Best of all, you get to enjoy this deliciousness with crudités!

Crudités simply means sliced or whole fresh vegetables served with some sort of dipping sauce. I used to think crudités was super fancy as a little girl. Maybe it’s the appetizing display of beautiful vegetables that makes it seem fancy and elegant? Or maybe it’s just the word?

Usually served as an appetizer or snack, crudités are most commonly carrots sticks, celery sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli florets, sliced up fennel and asparagus spears – usually blanched. Occasionally you will see olives or nuts added to the mix.

This beet cashew dip with crudités is perfect shared with someone you love or served at small, special gatherings.

Ingredients:

For the soaked cashews:

- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours and drained

- Warm filtered water

- ½ tsp sea salt

For the dip:

- 4 small beets – peeled, roasted or steamed

- 1 cup filtered water

- 1 tsp sea salt

- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

- 1 tbsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar

- 1 fresh garlic clove

- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

- ½ tsp chili powder blend

For serving:

- ½ bunch blanched asparagus, ends trimmed

- 7 carrots, halved and cut into sticks

- 1 small bunch radishes, trimmed and halved

- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds

- ½ shelled pistachios or other nuts

Instructions:

1. Place cashews in a medium-size bowl or quart mason jar and cover with warm filtered water and sea salt. Give it a stir to help the salt dissolve and allow cashews to soak for 4 hours, then drain.

2. In a high-powered blender or food processor, add soaked cashews, roasted or steamed beets, water, sea salt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, nutritional yeast and chili powder and blend until smooth and creamy. At this point make sure to taste and adjust any flavors to your liking.

3. Serve as is or chill for a cold dip. Serve with fresh crudités.

Notes:

- Yield: About 2 cups

- Do not soak the cashews longer than 6 hours as they will become slimy and develop and unpalatable taste.

About Emily:

Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri is a water kefir and chocolate loving, holistic-minded wife and mom. She’s the founder and voice behind Recipes to Nourish, a gluten free blog focusing on Real Food and Holistic Health. Having her daughters changed her life. She became mindful of everything that went into her body and started eating real food, making home-cooked meals from scratch and living a natural life. As a wife and mommy who is dedicated to making nourishing food and using safe products for her family, she works to empower her readers by showing them that there is a healthier way of eating and living. Her passion and mission is to make healthy, natural living as uncomplicated and enjoyable as possible. Emily lives in California with her husband and two children. Her first cookbook, The Art of Great Cooking With Your Instant Pot releases October 2017. Find Emily’s latest recipes and natural living tips at Recipes to Nourish. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter plus grab her free eBook Holistic Tips to Keep Your Family Healthy.