It’s always nice to have some (at least reasonably healthy) chips or crackers and dip with a board game. Normally I’d just get some sour cream and mix it with my choice of flavouring, corn relish, french onion, etc. That isn’t much good though if you are trying to avoid cholesterol. Granted, depending on the chips you get, they are probably just as bad if not worse. Nevertheless though, a healthier dip became the first port of call.
I’ve made a thick guacamole before basically just with avocado, lemon juice and a little bit of chilli, but I wanted something a little different.
I came across this recipe on One Green Planet that sounded pretty good, a creamy avocado and basil dip that is completely vegan, gluten free and so on. Sounded good I thought, and even better, I already had most of the ingredients. A quick trip to IGA to pick up the remainder and I was set.
I’m not sure if green onions are shallots or not, but shallots are what I chose to use. I thought at the time as I was prepping it for the food processor that it seemed like a lot of onion for one avocado, and I think I was right. Tasting it I found it to be overwhelmingly oniony. Given this, I decided to adapt. Add some lemon juice as I’ve used in guacamole before to give it a bit of tang, add some macadamia nuts to take away some of the overpowering onion flavour and also add some additional thickness to counteract the lemon juice, and finally add another avocado.
The result, a delicious, tangy dip that is very good for you with lots of avocado and basil, both rich in healthy stuff and completely cholesterol free! In addition to being vegan, it’s also gluten-free and lactose-free, so you can serve it to most people. If you have someone with nut allergies, just leave out the macadamia nuts and you should be fine.
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 shallots
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- Chop the roots off the shallots.
- Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix together.
- Add extra water to reach the consistency you would like.
- Add more or less salt to taste.
- Add more lemon juice for a tangier flavour or less for a more subtle flavour.
