This easy cashew and basil dip is so delicious, creamy, and flavorful that you’ll want to take it to every party—even the ones you weren’t invited to! Whipped up with simple ingredients like raw cashews, basil, lemon juice, and olive oil and a little parmesan, it’s the life of the snack table.
It’s one of those healthier kinds of dips especially when you serve it up with fresh and crunchy veggie sticks and toasted pita bread. We have this on repeat in Summer time …..all the time.
If your garden is overflowing with lots of basil you may also like our quick basil pesto recipe. Awesome topping that will take your favorite pasta and bring it to life.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
💚 Low in sugar
💚 A great way to use one recipe for two purposes. Can also be made into a pesto pasta meal and whipped up in a matter of minutes.
💚 Easy recipe to make with simple ingredients that you can grab from the grocery store and makes a statement at any get together. So delicious that your guests will be begging for more. (who doesn’t want to be hailed the queen of appetizers?)
💚 With Summer here in Australia and the garden full of fresh herbs like basil, it makes creating a healthy, fun and (very green) dip easily at anytime.
💚 Bread topping – Smoosh it over sourdough bread and pile on some tomatoes and a little olive oil as a breakfast delight.
Ingredients
Basil – This gorgeous herb makes the dip a vibrant green colour.
Parmesan Cheese – any parmesan cheese is fine, just has to be super finely grated.
Vinegar – white wine vinegar or rice vinegar adds a little extra zing. If you don’t like it too tangy opt for the rice vinegar.
Cashew nuts – I use unsalted cashes for this dip. High in protein, fiber, and healthy fats, making them a nutritious addition to this dip.
Lemon juice – Lemon juice can help to cut through some of the creaminess of the dip and make it more refreshing. It also adds a nice zing that pairs well with the other ingredients.
Olive oil – It adds a subtle flavor and helps to bring out the nutty taste of the cashews. We like the lighter olive oil but extra virgin olive oil is fine too.
Salt – a little seasoning to top it all off. Plus fee free to add a little freshly ground black pepper as well.
Clove garlic – optional and totally up to you. Raw garlic can be quite pungent so a little garlic clove will go a long way.
How to make this Easy Cashew and Basil Dip
- Strip the basil leaves from the stems.
- Grate your parmesan cheese either by hand or in a food processor.
- Add the cashews, basil, garlic (if using), lemon juice, vinegar, parmesan and olive oil to the food processor and blitz in small bursts to you get the right chunky consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Place the dip in a bowl and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
How to serve your chunky cashew and basil dip
- Serve with chips, crackers- (we love our seed cracker recipe for this dip)
- Scoop onto pita breads toasted in the oven with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. (try our Crunchy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips recipe here).
- A great dip to serve with fresh crunchy vegetables of your choice like radish, carrots, cucumber rounds, celery sticks and go well with cherry tomatoes.
- Dollop onto discs of roasted sweet potatoes
- Slices of crispy bread sticks for super crunch.
- Squares of feta (the harder type work best for this)
Additions and Variations -Why not try something different?
- Add coriander, pine nuts and a bit of lime juice, you can create an even more flavorful dip that will be sure to tantalize your taste buds!
- Add some fresh parsley or rocket as a variation. Lightens the flavour a little.
- Serve smooshed over roasted vegetables or baked potatoes.
- Mix your basil and cashew dip through some zucchini noodles for a light meal.
Storage
When it comes to storing your Easy Cashew and Basil Dip, the best way to do so is in an airtight container. This will help keep the dip fresh and flavorful for up to a week. I usually keep mine in a glass jar with a screw top lid.
Sometimes the basil can discolor when in the fridge so to help keep it’s green vibrancy pour a tiny amount of olive oil over the top. Or grab a spoon and mix the basil dip around to freshen it up.
Easy Cashew and Basil Dip Recipe
Recipe Card
A simple vibrant and quick dip you can make using fresh basil, a little parmesan and chunky cashews.
- 2 bunches fresh basil leaves around 40 gms
- 50 gms grated parmesan cheese
- 100 gms cashews
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- 80 ml olive oil
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
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Strip the leaves from the basil stalks and pop into a food processor.
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Add the remaining ingredients and blitz in short bursts to create a chunky consistency.
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Spoon into a bowl and serve with your favourite cracker's and crudities.
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Store covered in the fridge until ready to use. Allow to stand at room temperature for around 20 minutes prior to serving
STORAGE:
When it comes to storing your Easy Cashew and Basil Dip, the best method is to use an airtight container. This will keep the dip fresh and flavorful for up to a week.
To prevent the basil from discoloring in the fridge, you can pour a small amount of olive oil over the top. Alternatively, give the dip a quick stir with a spoon to freshen it up and maintain its vibrant green color.
GARLIC:
Feel free to add a little garlic if you like. Raw garlic is strong and can leave an aftertaste that is quite pungent so only a small clove is needed.
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