Brown Girl Vegan

Category: Dips

  • 5-Minute Vegan Caesar Dressing

    5-Minute Vegan Caesar Dressing

    Stop buying that Caesar dressing in a bottle – instead, make my easy vegan, gluten free & healthy creamy dressing and you won’t regret it!

    Make the best Caesar Salad with this dressing!

    While it may tempting to grab one of those Caesar dressing bottles when you are perusing your grocery store, stop yourself and think if you can easily recreate it at home. It definitely makes it easier if you have some of the ingredients on hand but even if you don’t, you can make this healthy dressing at home without the nasties. And the best part? It tastes just like the real deal.

    This creamy version of my Caesar dressing goes perfectly on Caesar salad but you can also have it as a dip for a crunchy vegetable platters. That’s how versatile it tastes! At the same time, there’s a distinct flavour that aims to mimic traditional Caesar dressing that is made with anchovies, mayonnaise and sometimes even cheese!

    The only part of making this dressing that may take a little longer is soaking the cashews. However, if you can be impatient like I am, I just boil my cashews for 5 minutes and leave it in the hot water as I’m preparing the rest of my ingredients.

    This dressing is also completely vegan and can be made gluten free!

    Print Recipe

    5-Minute Vegan Caesar Dressing

    Stop buying that Caesar dressing in a bottle – instead, make my easy vegan, gluten free & healthy creamy dressing and you won't regret it!
    Prep Time10 minutes
    Cook Time5 minutes
    Total Time15 minutes
    Course: Sauce
    Cuisine: Fusion, Italian, Western
    Keyword: dip, salad, sauce
    Servings: 5

    Ingredients

    • 3/4 cup cashews
    • Handful nori flakes
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce (make sure it's gluten free)
    • 2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
    • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground

    Instructions

    • Soak cashews overnight or boil for them 5 minutes and let them soak for about 10 minutes.
    • Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.

    Notes

    1. You can keep the Caesar dressing in the fridge for about 4 days to a week. 
    2. Substitue worcestershire sauce if not gluten free, with gluten free soy sauce or tamari. 
  • Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

    Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

    A close competitor of the great and famous HUMMUS – This roasted eggplant dip is for any smoky and feisty dip lover.

    My hummus obsession didn’t die for years until I found its underrated but savoury & smoky cousin – Baba Ghanoush! Most of the smokey flavour comes from roasting the eggplant and the creaminess comes from sesame seed paste, also known as tahini.

    This dip is also 100% gluten free and made from wholefoods only like fresh brinjals, sesame seeds, and whole spices like smoked paprika and freshly ground cumin.

    I have omitted raw garlic to make this recipe more allergen friendly, but feel free to add in a clove or two for an extra boost of flavour!

    Print Recipe

    Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

    A close competitor of the great and famous HUMMUS – This roasted eggplant dip is for any smoky and feisty dip lover.
    Prep Time30 minutes
    Cook Time10 minutes
    Total Time40 minutes
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Keyword: baba ghanoush, meditarranean, middle eastern
    Servings: 4

    Equipment

    • 1 Baking Tray
    • 1 High Speed Blender
    • 1 Bowl

    Ingredients

    • 2 medium brinjals
    • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 lime
    • 1 tbsp tahini
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • salt

    Toppings

    • Olive Oil
    • Smoked Paprika
    • Coriander

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 200C.
    • Halve 2 medium brinjals (or 1 huge brinjal) and spray with olive oil. You can choose to omit the oil if you are making this recipe oil free.
    • Roast the brinjals for 30 minutes.
    • Scrape the flesh and leave the skins* out. Combine roasted eggplant into a blender with lime, tahini, smoked paprika, cumin powder, black pepper and salt.
    • Blend until a thick mixture is formed. Transfer contents into a bowl and make a dent or a depression in the dip with a spoon. Top with some olive oil, smoked paprika and coriander.

    Notes

    1. This recipe is 100% gluten free. 
    2. You can omit olive oil completely if you’re making this recipe oil free. 
    3. You can choose to include the skins while blending the mixture to keep this recipe low waste. Blend the skins first, followed by the rest of the ingredients.