If you’re wondering what vegan party snack goes with ritz crackers, cut carrots, celery, jicama, pretzels… try this zingy jalapeño dip!
This is actually a great dish to make the day before you plan to eat it. We noticed that while it was tasty enough on the first day, after leaving the uneaten half of it in the fridge overnight, the flavor of the jalapeños had really come out in full force on the next day.
How spicy is this dip? You decide. If you want it to be “zingy” just add one jalapeño. We made it with one jalapeño and it had a little kick but wasn’t really “hot.” My kids were able to eat it without any problem with the spiciness.
(When I say they were able to eat it, I mean I had to cut them off after a certain point because I didn’t want them to get full on dip and not have an appetite for supper! haha)
Now if you want your dip to be really spicy, add two jalapeños. I’ve heard that the red jalapeños are spicier than the green, and also that the peppers with more of the little white striations are hotter.
I’m not really into going for the ultimate spicy hotness in my food, so I make it with one pepper. But you spice lovers out there could probably even replace the jalapeño with something hotter like a poblano pepper (I’m not sure at what point you end up torturing your guests though!)
Not into spiciness at all? I hear you! Try replacing the jalapeño with a yellow bell pepper and omit the chili flakes. It will still have the zing from the lemon, but with a nice sweetness from the bell pepper.
Are ritz crackers vegan?
Yes, the Ritz Originals crackers and Ritz Roasted Vegetable crackers are in fact vegan! They’re not gluten free, though.
If you want gluten free vegan crackers, I’d try the Hu Paleo Vegan Crackers, available on Amazon.
In my photos, I’m using the Ritz Roasted Vegetable flavor. They’re delicious!
Making Vegan Jalapeño Dip
The first time I made this dip, I was worried about it getting too spicy, so I didn’t add the spices in to cook with the cashews and jalapeños. Well, let me tell ya – you definitely SHOULD put everything in the Instant Pot at once and cook it all up together. The flavors meld beautifully and the end result has a lot more, well.. ZING!
I also decided to make it using part cashews and part beans, since cashews are expensive and I don’t like to use them unless I HAVE to.
I used cooked soy beans that I had left over from making aquafaba, but you could also use cooked or canned chickpeas. I think just about any other beans would go well in this – in fact I’d dare to say that you could go all beans if you wanted to and it would also be great. Beans and jalapeño are a perfect flavor combination.
Looking for more great plant based party foods? Try my vegan baked beans recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas or soybeans canned is fine
- 1-2 green jalapeño peppers
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- chili flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Slice open the jalapeños and remove the seeds and stems.
- Toast the jalapeños in the toaster oven or broil them in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Put cashews, jalapeños, water, cashews, juice of a lemon and all spices into the Instant Pot. Pressure cook for 1 minute and then do a quick release.
- Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth, about 30-40 seconds.
- Pour dip into a serving dish, cover, and let it chill overnight or for at least 3 hours in the fridge. The flavors will blossom while it chills.Serve with extra chili flakes and freshly sliced jalapeños for garnish.
