Vegan-Friendly Lemon Herb Dip

Normally I shun pre-mixed spices, but oddly, Montreal steak seasoning is awesome in this dip.  I may or may not have noted before my recent obsession with thyme in my food, but it may spring from having a front yard full of creeping thyme.  When I make this, it usually goes pretty fast, and since a can of white beans holds about 2 cups, you might as well double it.

I’m also not a fan of requiring special kitchen tools for recipes, but coffee grinders are great for all kinds of things, and I’m sure ingenious non-coffee-grinder-owners will find some way to mill your nuts.

As dips go, this one is actually pretty good for you and deliciously dairy free; go to town, vegans!

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsalted cashews (or almonds; ground in a coffee grinder until they’re a fine paste)
1 cup cooked white beans (navy, kidney, whatever)
juice of 1 or 2 lemons (to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Directions

1. Grind nuts in a coffee grinder until you have a nice fine paste.
2. Mix ground nuts with beans, lemon juice, and seasoning until smooth (use a blender or a potato masher).
3. In a hot pan, heat oil and saute the onion and garlic until tender.
4. Stir onion-garlic mixture into bean mixture and add thyme.
5. Serve with fresh vegetables or toasted bread, or use it as a sandwich spread.