Chunky Roast Pumpkin Cashew Dip Vegan Gluten Free

What’s summer without a road trip? I only realised last week when chatting with a friend, that this habit was set down early in life. Our family lived far west of the state, many hours’ drive from grandparents, and so it was from a very young age that we made the annual trek east every December to visit family for Christmas. No wonder I go stir-crazy if we’re home during that time! Some traditions just can’t go challenged without a fight. And so, after several years staying close to home, I once again took to the road in January.

Chunky Roast Pumpkin Cashew Dip Vegan Gluten FreeChunky Roast Pumpkin Cashew Dip Vegan Gluten FreeChunky Roast Pumpkin Cashew Dip Vegan Gluten Free

A family wedding in Sydney first; a flying visit. Then home and just time to pack for the next adventure – beach mission! The 4-year old and I ventured two hours west to join  friends with a similar heart to run a holiday program for kids, sharing what we know and believe with anyone with ears to hear. Highlights included making new friends, learning new songs, and catching tiddlers in a net. Finally, home again, exhausted. Time to rest, reconnect with old friends, relax into the familiar, and enjoy not having to be anywhere but here.

Chunky Roast Pumpkin Cashew Dip Vegan Gluten FreeChunky Roast Pumpkin Cashew Dip Vegan Gluten FreeChunky Roast Pumpkin Cashew Dip Vegan Gluten Free

Time also to enjoy some quiet solitude and veganise an old blog post. Roasted Pumpkin, Cashew & Parmesan Dip is a  reader favourite, and since beginning my vegan baking journey, I had wondered about tweaking it for those who prefer their food without cheese. I’d bought some nutritional yeast (aka “nooch”) for muffins, and so it was simply a matter of roasting some pumpkin and throwing it all in the blender. This dip is savoury and sweet, and the fact that there was only half left at the end of dinner is testament to its success!

Chunky Roast Pumpkin Cashew Dip Vegan Gluten Free

Chunky Roast Pumpkin & Cashew Dip {vegan, gf}
A firm favourite on the blog, now veganised and just as delicious!

Makes: one and a quarter cups

Ingredients
250g peeled and seeded pumpkin (140g cooked)
2 ½ tablespoons of mild oil
½ cup salted roasted cashews
1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon mild (sweet) paprika
Dash ground chilli
2 – 3 tablespoons water

Method
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).

Cut pumpkin into cubes, brush with half a tablespoon of the oil and roast in the oven until tender. This may take about half an hour or so.

When cooked, place the pumpkin in a blender with one-third (1/3) cup of roasted cashews and all the other ingredients. Blend till smooth. Chop or crush the remaining cashews and stir through by hand. You don’t want the whole lot to be blended smooth because there needs to be some chunkiness remaining.

Stir through extra oil, sprinkle with extra paprika and serve with crackers and raw crudités to dip.

Makes about 1 ¼ cups of dip.

Notes
Adapted from my Roasted Pumpkin, Cashew & Parmesan Dip

Don’t let the pumpkin get overdone in the oven. You still need it to be golden but not brown.

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