This time of year can get kind of heavy. Schedules are filled to the brim, wallets are emptied thanks to gift-buying, eating out, and all the things in between, and waist lines tend to expand as we indulge in cookies and eggnog and all things holiday flavored. The thing that helps me the most is keeping a great, healthy recipe in my back pocket that I can bring to parties. I always look to flavorful, vibrantly colored ingredients so whatever I'm making feels special. This roasted red pepper party dip is this year's obsession and I know you're going to love it, too!
The last few times we've had friends and family over to our house, I've piled up a bunch of veggies, cheese, and meat on a big sheet pan and I can almost hear the sighs of relief and guests see a healthy, yet tasty, option for snacking on. This dip just elevates a basic cheese and veggie platter to something holiday worthy. Bonus: it is made in a blender and only a blender and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand.
A couple tips if you're making a platter with veggies to dip in your roasted red pepper party dip:
- choose veggies that are beautiful and easy to arrange: broccolini briefly cooked in salted, boiling water then plopped in an ice bath are perfect, as are carrots, sliced peppers, radishes, sliced raw fennel, and romain lettuce leaves
- stick to 2 or 3 cheeses: I like to have a soft cheese, a hard cheese, and a blue or gorgonzola cheese.
- go light on the accompaniments: to save some pennies, go light on the meat, olives, and nuts because the veggies are the real star here!
And with that, you will no doubt have a beautiful platter to contribute to your next holiday party! Oh, and I suppose you'll need a recipe for that super flavorful, creamy, dip (which happens to be gluten, dairy, and added sugar free)!
roasted red pepper party dip
- 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1/3 cup unsalted cashews (can be raw or roasted)
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Place the drained peppers, garlic, cashews and lemon juice in a blender. Pulse until chopped roughly.
- With the blender running, stream the olive oil into the red pepper mixture until thick and smooth.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice if needed.
- Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve!