Buffalo Chickpea Dip excerpted from The Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook by Victoria Moran and JL Fields with Main Street Vegan Coaches
From Britt LoSacco: Bringing a delicious dish to events and dinner parties ensures that you will have something to eat, and it’s a great way to show friends and family how enjoyable and satisfying vegan food can be. This creamy, spicy dip is so irresistible it’s good that the recipe is easy to double—or triple!
Serves 4 to 6
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
1/2 cup plain, unsweetened vegan milk or water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 rounded tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese, divided
Tortilla chips, celery sticks, and carrot sticks, for dipping
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Combine the white beans and raw cashews in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to break them up a bit. Add the hot sauce, milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder. Process until the mixture is entirely smooth (this will take several minutes), stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary.
Scrape the bean mixture into a bowl and stir in the parsley and chives to evenly distribute. Stir in the chickpeas and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar. Transfer the dip to a 9-inch square baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar over the top. (Note: This dip can be made up to this point a day or two ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to heat and serve.)
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until warmed through. If the cheese on top isn’t fully melted, set the dish under the broiler for a minute or two to melt; this isn’t necessary but looks nice.
Serve warm with your favorite dippers.
Nut-free option: Replace the cashews with 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked, rinsed, and drained.
Love this recipe for Buffalo Chickpea Dip? Learn more about The Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook and order your copy!