This paleo French onion dip is so easy to make, it's delicious and it's the perfect appetizer. Once upon a time, I used to make it with cream cheese (which contained preservatives) and a packet of French onion soup, packed with MSG, anti-caking agent and artificial flavours. I've created a dairy-free version with no additives and I'm loving it. Serve with vegetable sticks or paleo/gluten-free crackers like my Dip Crackers or Rosemary & Seed Crackers.
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Drain the soaked cashews and rinse well.
Add the cashews, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and coconut aminos to a high-speed blender. Blend on medium to finely chop the nuts, you may need to use a tamper stick or stop and scrape down sides with a spatula. Add the coconut yoghurt to the nuts and blend on high until you have a smooth consistency.
Add the dried flaked onions, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and blend for 5 seconds to mix well. It's nice to have some of the dried onion bits in the dip for texture or you can blend a little longer. Remove the blender jug and stir in the parsley by hand.
Transfer the dip into a small serving bowl, cover and place in the fridge for 30 - 60 minutes to allow the flavours to come out.
Serve sprinkled with a little extra chopped parsley on top and a variety of vegetable sticks or paleo crackers to eat with the dip.
Cashews work well in a paleo lifestyle, as they are so versatile. They can be used to make dairy free milk, cashew butter, cashew cream or sour cream, dips and many more. Where possible, it is best to soak nuts before using to assist with digestion. Eat them raw but in moderation as they are quite high in omega 6. Stay away from store bought roasted nuts that have been cooked in canola, sunflower or similar vegetable oils.
The olive fruit of the olive tree is pressed and crushed to released the oil. Healthy fats like olive oil are essential for brain function and to transport vitamins and minerals throughout our bodies. This is a delicious oil to drizzled over salads and vegetables.
Apple Cider Vinegar is used extensively throughout my recipes due to its health benefits. When purchasing, look for raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar ‘with the mother’ it has a cloudy appearance. Avoid malt vinegars as they are made from barley and contain gluten.
An excellent soy free alternative to soy sauce and tamari. It comes from the sap of the coconut tree and has a sweeter flavour than soy sauce and is not as salty. Coconut aminos can be purchased from health food stores or online. This is one of my favourite ingredients.
You will be able to find a recipe for cultured coconut yoghurt online using grass fed gelatin or tapioca starch for thickening. If purchasing a commercial yoghurt, read labels as many use vegetable gums and additives. Coconut yoghurt can be made in a yoghurt maker or a Thermomix machine. If you can tolerate some dairy natural organic Greek yoghurt can be used in it's place.
In my recipes when listing onion I am referring to a brown (also called yellow) onion. Onions are members of the allium plant family which also includes garlic, leeks, spring onions and shallots. Onions are valued more for the flavour they impart in cooking than for their nutritional content. Onions are know for their antibacterial effect helping to prevent superficial infections and their sulfur compounds may block carcinogens.
Onion powder is ground, dehydrated onion. Where possible purchase an organic brand that doesn't contain anti-caking agents or fillers. I buy the 'Simply Organic' brand.
Garlic powder is ground, dehydrated garlic. Where possible purchase an organic brand that doesn't contain anti-caking agents or fillers. I use the 'Simply Organics' brand.
Organic unbleached, unrefined organic Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt is my salt of choice as these contain healthy minerals and trace elements that our body needs. Regular table salt has been bleached, refined and processed leaving minimal health benefits. If you choose to use regular table salt in my recipes you will need to reduce the quantity or the end result will be to salty.
Black and white pepper both come from the fruit of a tropical vine. Black pepper is the cooked and dried unripe fruit, known as a peppercorn and white pepper is from the ripe fruit seed. Pepper is usually coupled with salt, sprinkled over or added to food.
Parsley would be the most widely used herb worldwide. The two main varieties of this herb are curly parsley with ruffled leaves and Italian parsley with flat leaves. In general flat-leaf parsley has a more robust flavour than the curly leave parsley. Its fresh green flavour and colour can be much more than just a garnish. Both kinds of parsley may be used in cooking. Fresh parsley contains useful amounts of vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium. Parsley is also high in bioflavonoids and other anticancer compounds.