Cauliflower Ranch Dip Recipe

Reprinted with permission from Superfood Snacks by Julie Morris (Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.).

Photograph by Oliver Barth

Cauliflower Ranch Dip Recipe
Makes 1 ½ cups/6 servings

This is a low-fat, low-calorie, dairy-free ranch dip that is sure to please even the most devoted ranch lover. It goes great with vegetables, especially broccoli florets; in fact I’ve been known to eat an entire crown of broccoli so long as it’s accompanied by this dip!

1½ cups steamed cauliflower florets*
½ cup unflavored almond milk
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Shot of hot sauce, to taste
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

Place the cauliflower in a blender, along with the almond milk, grapeseed oil, apple cider vinegar, and hemp seeds. Blend for a full minute, or until completely smooth and creamy. Add the Dijon mustard, garlic powder, hot sauce, along with the sea salt and black pepper, then blend to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Add the chives and blend briefly just to incorporate, without processing the chives too much. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl or a resealable container, and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill before serving. It will keep, refrigerated, for 1 week.

Serving suggestions: This dip is especially good with fresh vegetables, particularly broccoli and carrots. It may also be enjoyed with roasted sweet potato fries or roasted carrots.

FEEL-GOOD FACT: Cauliflower is an astonishingly good source of vitamin K: 1 cup has a whopping 476.2 % of the RDA! People with higher levels of vitamin K have greater bone density and a lower rate of osteoporosis.

*You can also use frozen cauliflower that has been thoroughly defrosted.