Don’t pour out that brine! Here’s how to make an amazingly delicious dill pickle dip using leftover pickle brine. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, packed with protein, and easy!
This recipe came from my friend Bernie. He shared it after seeing my post for pickle-ific lentil sloppy joes, which was also inspired by him.
Does Bernie like pickles? I think he pretty much likes any flavor-packed vegan dish!
And I am a huge fan of dips and spreads. So I was really excited to try out Bernie’s dip!
Here are a few reasons why I LOVE this dill pickle dip.
- Cashews are packed with protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants. They also have prebiotic fiber.
- Perfect for traveling. All you need is a bag of corn chips and some fresh veggies for a complete meal.
- Parties always need a good dip. This dip is dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.
- It’s a great way to use dill pickle brine.
- Why not make a probiotic dip? (See the section below for details).
Probiotic Dip
It’s easy to take this dill pickle dip and make a probiotic dip. The key is to use brine from fermented pickles!
In case you are new to fermenting… store-bought pickles aren’t usually fermented. The cucumbers are pickled in vinegar and then processed at high heat to make sure that nothing is living in the jar.
Fermented pickles use probiotic cultures and natural acidity from fermentation for preservation. In comparison, they are more salty than vinegary. However, they will still pack a lot of flavor into this recipe!
There are so MANY different flavors of fermented pickles, and each one will bring something different to this dip. Here are a few options:
- Grandma’s dill pickles give this dip a classic dill pickle flavor
- Honey garlic pickles add a sweet and savory flare.
- Sweet and spicy pickle brine is a flavor-packed favorite.
- Skip the dill and make a spicy dip with brine from vegan kimchi.
Bernie’s Dill Pickle Dip
Don’t pour out that brine! Here’s how to make an amazingly delicious dill pickle dip using leftover pickle brine. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, packed with protein, and easy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
- Category: Dip
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 cups of water
- 3/4 cup pickle brine
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Sugar, to taste (optional)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Mix the cashews in a bowl or measuring cup with 2 cups of water. Leave them to soak and soften for 1 to 2 hours.
- When you’re ready to make the dip, drain the cashews. Place them in a blender with the pickle brine, dill, garlic powder, and onion powder. Blend until smooth. (I recently got a high-quality blender, and the difference is amazing. It makes the most creamy cashews).
- Taste the dip and add sugar or salt if necessary. Most pickles don’t contain any sugar, so adding 1 tsp to the dip helps to balance the acidity. It’s not necessary if you want a sugar-free dip. For a vinegar-based pickle brine, I recommend adding up to 1/2 tsp of salt. However, brine from fermented pickles doesn’t require any additional salt.
- See the section above for different brine options. This dip can be made with all sorts of different types of pickle brines.
Keywords: dip, sauce, dairy-free, soy-free, protein, keto, paleo, probiotic, prebiotic
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