Quite some time ago, Gwyneth Paltrow published a recipe in her book It’s All Good called Spicy Cashew Moment and I absolutely loved it. The vegan recipe slightly resembled nacho cheese in flavour even though it was closer to a hummus and it was super easy to throw together for snacks or entertaining. I love this recipe so much, but it’s not always easy for me to find fresh jalapeños locally so I needed to find an alternative using ingredients that are easily sourced nearby to get my fix. My Chilli Lime Cashew Dip is an homage to that beloved recipe from GP. It tastes completely different and yet still reminiscent of the original recipe I loved so much. Chilli Lime Cashew Dip is vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free so it caters to a lot of dietary requirements and it’s easily portable, so I love taking this one to someone else’s house when I’m asked to bring a dish or to picnics & barbecues in the summertime.
Don’t get too caught up on the measurements here as they are just there to guide you. If you think you might want more or less of something, go ahead and try it. Feel free to experiment and adjust seasonings and textures until you get just what you want. Some people may prefer more or less salt or more or less lime juice. Some people might want this quite chunky and thick, while others may prefer a smoother consistency. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your own tastes and get creative… Maybe add some fresh ginger or swap the lime for lemon. No chillis? Try using some hot sauce instead. You get the idea… The options are endless!
You will need a food processor to make Chilli Lime Cashew Dip. If you don’t have a food processor, the chopping attachment of a stick blender might work, but if you don’t have either you might want to just scroll past this one.
I suggest serving this dip with tortilla chips, but you can pair it with any dippers you like. Try cut veggies, flatbreads or even a different kind of crisp (chips if you’re American). Bagel chips, mini crostinis, pita chips or even lentil crisps might be nice here. Additionally, you can serve this right after making it and it’s delicious while warm, but it firms up nicely in the fridge and is also perfect to serve cold. I’ve suggested a bit of smoked hot paprika to sprinkle on top along with some sea salt flakes, but this is mostly just for colour. If you don’t have it or don’t like paprika, you can skip it or replace it with something else like additional lime zest or finely chopped fresh chillis or coriander.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 150g raw cashews
- Zest & juice of 1 lime
- 100ml water
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt flakes to taste
- Sea salt flakes & smoked paprika to serve (optional)
- Tortilla chips or other dippers to serve
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the chopped chillis and cook, gently stirring until they’re starting to soften and turning more orange and less red in colour (about 5 to 7 minutes or thereabouts).
- Add the lime zest and cumin. Stir to combine before adding the cashews. Stir again to coat the nuts in everything.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook stirring constantly for another 2 to 3 minutes. Do not walk away for this or you might burn your nuts and we don’t want that.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
- Use a rubber spatula to get every single morsel and drop out of the pan and into the bowl of a food processor. Add the water, extra virgin olive oil and some sea salt. Whiz it up and check the consistency and flavour. Here is where you can smooth it out a bit more with little bits of water and olive oil at a time in equal measures until it’s as smooth and wet as you like. You can also adjust the seasoning here if you like.
- Pour the dip into a serving dish and serve immediately if you’re having it warm. If you’re having it cold, cover the dish and put into the refrigerator for at least 2 to 4 hours before serving.
- Before serving, sprinkle with smoked paprika and sea salt flakes for a bit of colour & contrast and postition next to a bowl of tortilla chips or your favourite dippers.
Serve with Best Ever Texas Margaritas for a real treat!
