Quite possibly the hardest thing about this recipe has been deciding what to name it. Truth be told, I was going for a dairy-free garlic dip. And while it is definitely dairy-free, full of garlic, and everything dippy, it also came out a bit like a hummus. A soy-free hummus, that is. Thus we have Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Garlic Hummus Dip. And it’s divine.
But even as I began writing this post, I still hadn’t fully decided what to name it. And then I cheated a little bit, combining the two into a “Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Garlic Hummus Dip.” And, of course, it’s gluten-free, too. But to add that to the title would be overkill.
It was a lot of work for just one recipe title. I’m not even sure K-Hubs and I spent that much time deciding what to name our children. Strugglebus.
Okay, but this hummus dip. It is here, just in time for Labor Day and football season and bonfires and cookouts and crisp fall leaves and cool mornings and chilly evenings.
Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Garlic Hummus Dip uses cashews for the base, giving it a dairy-like flavor in place of sour cream (in dips) or chickpeas, legumes, and the soy that goes with them (in hummus). I chose to soak my cashews in water overnight to soften them and make them easier for my family to digest.
I also played around with everything from water to coconut oil to olive oil as the added liquid. Olive oil gave the richest, most even flavor and the most desired texture and consistency. Essentially, it played the best with the cashews.
BFFs4EVR.
I believe I have mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again. Garlic for the win. It’s like our family is in a constant state of preparation for a vampire apocalypse. If a recipe calls for one clove of garlic, why even bother? Just ask K-Hubs about that time I misread a recipe and added one BULB of garlic. Okay, that was a little too much garlic for whatever small recipe I was trying to make. But in this case, 2-4 CLOVES of garlic ought to do the trick. I suggest adding them to your blender or food processor one by one, taste-testing as you go. From there, you can add as many or as few as your taste buds desire.
Sea salt and lemon juice provide just the right kick, preventing the humus dip from being too bland or out of whack. Because garlic needs a few sidekicks to perform at its peak level.
There is one caveat, and maybe it’s just me, but this dip comes out of the blender a little warm (especially if you have soaked the cashews in warm water). I don’t love that. So I put it in a glass jar to chill for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving. I just don’t love it warm. That may not bother you, but if it does, then chilling it for a while does the trick. And if the olive oil starts to separate from the mixture, stirring briskly with a fork just before serving will bring everything back together.
We enjoy our Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Garlic Hummus Dip with vegetables and seafood. If you partake in grains, go for crackers or thick breads, such as focaccia. Ooh, and atop a burger. For. Sure.
And if vampires really do take over the world one day, you’ll be ready for them.
Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Garlic Hummus Dip
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews (soaked, optional)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2–4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- Dash of pepper, optional
Instructions
- Add cashews and olive oil to high-speed blender or food processor and blend on low to medium speed until smooth, usually about 5 minutes, although your time may vary.
- Drop cloves of garlic, one by one, into the blender until mixed evenly. Increase blending speed, if necessary.
- Pour lemon juice and sea salt into mixture while its blending.
- Pour mixture into a glass jar and keep chilled.
- Garnish with pepper or herbs as desired.
Notes
If you choose not to soak the cashews prior to blending, keep a little extra olive oil on hand and plan to blend a little longer. Additionally, you can add the olive oil FIRST and gradually add the cashews to the blender or food processor to maintain an even blend.
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I love this cashew garlic hummus dip, so wonderful! I will definitely try it! 🙂
Thank you! 🙂