Roasted Red Pepper Dip (With Cashews)

Roasted Red Pepper Dip is dairy-free, vegan and creamy, made with jarred roasted red peppers, soaked cashews and no mayo or cream cheese.

Course Dip

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword cashew dip, roasted red peppers

Prep Time 10

Soaking Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 187kcal

Author Leanne

2 cups raw cashews
2 cups hot water enough to cover cashews
3-4 roasted red peppers drained (I used peppers from a jar but you can use homemade - see note)
½ cup unsweetened cashew or almond milk plus more if required
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons water plus more if required
3 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Add the cashews and hot water to a glass dish or jar. Cover and let soak for 30 minutes.
Drain the cashews and add them to a high-powered blender or food processor along with the other ingredients.
Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If needed, add more water or milk (1 tablespoon at a time) to help the mixture blend. (Stop to scrape down the sides if necessary).
Taste, then add more salt, garlic or red pepper flakes, if desired.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavours fuse.

To roast your own peppers, just cut 3-4 red bell peppers in half. Remove the stems, seeds and membrane. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast skin side up on 450F for 20-25 minutes, or until the skin blisters and starts to char. Remove from oven and let cool enough to touch. At this point, you should be able to easily pull the skins off. (You can leave them on, if you prefer).
The recipe calls for 3-4 roasted red peppers. The amount you use depends on the size of your peppers and how much of a red pepper taste you like. I used 4 medium-sized roasted red peppers.
Soaking the cashews is essential for easy blending and to achieve a creamy texture.
If you don't have a high-powered blender or food processor, that's okay. You can soak your cashews longer, blend in batches or add more liquid to help it blend.