Warm Sriracha Roasted Red Pepper Bean Dip Oil-Free
With an irresistible sweet fiery tang, this simple versatile recipe can be made with any kind of white beans and store-bought, or homemade, roasted red bell peppers. Because there's no added oil, this dip is at its creamiest best when warm or hot.
Equipment
- Food Processor or High Speed Blender
- silicone spatula
Ingredients
- 1½ cup cooked white beans, strained reserving aquafaba (canned is fine)
- ½ cup roasted red bell peppers* (store-bought or homemade)
- ¼ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked** (measured first then soaked and strained)
- 3 to 6 garlic cloves (1 to 1½ Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 to 2 Tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 to 4 Tbsp aquafaba
- ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
Instructions
Process the Dip
- Place 1 tablespoon of the aquafaba, 1 tablespoon of the sriracha sauce and all other ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth. You may need to stop a couple of times and push down the sides so that all ingredients are incorporated and the dip is smooth.
- Taste the dip to see if you need more sriracha sauce in order to reach your desired level of spiciness. You may also want to add a tiny bit more salt or more lime juice. Asses the the thickness and decide if you want to add a bit more aquafaba to thin it out. Even if the thickness seems ok now, you may still need to add aquafaba during the heating phase. Process again to incorporate any added ingredients.
Heat the Dip
- Microwave Method: Transfer the dip into a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a microwave-safe plate. Then heat in 30 second increments, taking it out and mixing it with a spatula after each increment until you reach the desired temperature. You can add more aquafaba or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dip gets too thick. If you want your dip to be hot, not warm, be careful not to overcook it. The best way to do this is to make the last heating increments shorter. So when it's almost but not quite hot enough, put it back for another 10 seconds instead of 30.
- Conventional Oven Method: Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Transfer dip to an oven-safe pan and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. I suggest adding a bit more aquafaba ahead of baking if you haven't added it in already.
Serve or Store
- This dip is best enjoyed warm or hot with your favorite dippable chips, crackers or veggies. Serving it room temperature can also be okay, but it becomes stiff and not dip-like when cold. Refer to the main recipe text for topping and layering ideas.
- You can store this dip in a sealed refrigerated container for up to 5 days then reheat it as needed adding more aquafaba or water if it gets too thick.
Notes
*If using store-bought peppers, get the kind that are packed in water. If making you're own, keep in mind that ½ cup is what you usually get from one large red bell pepper after it's been roasted, peeled and seeded. View step by step instructions on how to roast red bell peppers here.
**Soaking Cashews: The fastest way to soak cashews is to place them in a small bowl, cover them with boiling water and soak for at least 20 minutes. Cashew pieces or whole cashews are both fine. Refer to the main recipe text for more about soaking cashews.
**Substituting Soaked Cashews: If you need to substitute cashews I recommend ¼ cup of tahini or pine nuts.
Tried this recipe? Let me know how it was!