My love for parsnips came from my mum's roast lunches. I would always be back for seconds (and thirds) of roast parsnips and potatoes. My dad was the veggie peeler and he'd always comment on the amount of potatoes and parsnips, "We're never going to eat this lot!" But Mum knew better, and of course Nicki the parsnip lover would polish them all off. Yet who would ever have imagined using raw parsnips in a dip? Not me! Then along comes my raw vegan friend Sabina Stebegg, who inspired me for this recipe. The result is a delicious, velvety smooth dip with a hint of sweetness from the parsnips. I tweaked the ingredients to my personal taste and it has become one of my favourites. Friends and family-tested, it's a winner. A fabulous source of vitamin C, folate, manganese, protein, omega-3 and let's not forget that all-important dietary fibre, Raw Parsnip Dip is a lovely alternative to legume or nut dips and one I'm sure you'll love! It's so easy to make and is great on bread, crackers, crunchy raw veggies or even just as a condiment to your salad. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.
parsnips
1 3/4 cups (220g) about 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons raw tahini
3/4 teaspoon sea salt or pink himalayan salt
1 big clove garlic
1/2 cup water
juice of 1 lemon (about 3-4 tablespoons)
1/4 cup hemp hearts (shelled hempseed)
Tweak the lemon juice, salt and garlic to your personal taste.
Blend all the ingredients together in a high-powered blender. You may need to scrape the sides down a couple of times.
Blend together until smooth & creamy.
Spoon into a pretty dish and serve with raw veggies.