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Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip [Aldi copycat]

December 13, 2020 / 66 Comments
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Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip in a star bowl.

Happy nearly Christmas, everyone! Have you ever wanted to recreate a recipe you enjoy from the grocery store or a restaurant, maybe? This sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip is one of those recipes for me – it’s so delicious! But, you know me, I will avoid preservatives and additives whenever I can (though there’s only one here, thankfully) and also, I just want to be able to eat this dip anytime the hankering strikes. And so, one summer morning, I recreated this recipe from the ingredients list (as you do) and man, I am not looking back. If you’re searching for a great dip recipe for your Christmas table, don’t look any further – this is it, folks.

Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip in a star bowl.

Sundried tomato dip – perfect for the holidays and New Year’s celebrations

Whether you’re celebrating Christmas this year in your close family circle or you’re lucky enough to be able to host a larger Christmas or New Year’s Eve gathering, this dip will come in handy. It’s filling, bursting with delicious tomato and pesto flavours, and so satisfying with crackers or veggies. Plus, it comes together with a few pantry ingredients and a quick blitz in the food processor – what’s not to like? My kids were sceptical at first, but this dip is honestly pretty addicting – I dare say you (and your guests) will be coming back to the dip bowl over and over again.
Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip in a star bowl.
Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip on a cracker.

So what ingredients do you need for this sundried tomato dip?

  • sundried tomato strips – I love these semi sundried tomatoes from Sandhurst – they are not fully dried so are a bit softer and juicier which I love. And the size of the jar (270g) is perfect for this dip! Plus, did you know that sun dried tomatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants? They have a particularly high concentration of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, which may help protect your skin from the sun. Source: WebMD
  • cashews – raw and unsalted cashews, which are low in sugar and rich in fiber, heart-healthy fats, and plant protein. They’re also a good source of copper, magnesium, and manganese — nutrients important for energy production, brain health, immunity, and bone health. Source: Healthline
  • parmesan – which introduces a bit of cheesiness into the flavour profile of this dip. As parmesan is aged for a long time, it is low in lactose and can be usually tolerated by most people who have lactose intolerance (but can be substituted for another hard cheese if that’s your preference). Parmesan is also high in calcium and phosphorus, which may promote bone health. Source: Healthline
  • basil – one of the main ingredients making up the “pesto” part of the dip, basil is one of the oldest known herbs and has many healing and healthful properties. Source: FoodNDTV
  • garlic – did you know that garlic contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and aging? Source: Healthline
  • balsamic vinegar – a safe food additive that contains no fat and very little natural sugar. It’s been proven effective to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood pressure, and contains strains of probiotic bacteria. Source: Healthline I have used this delicious raspberry balsamic vinegar here because it smells beautiful and has a lovely fruity taste, but if you don’t have that, regular balsamic vinegar will do.

So, you see, everything that goes into this dip is good, nutritious and wholesome and, in combination with it tasting scrumptious, you should feel absolutely no compunction in serving it to your guests this Christmas. Pair it with some nice lavosh crackers, veggie sticks or pita crackers and enjoy!

And what’s next for me in the copycat recipe land, you ask? I am currently obsessed with snacking on the nut butter filled balls from Health Lab (especially Almond Amaze – I mean, yum!) and so recreating those babies is definitely a job I have set myself for the Christmas holidays. What are your plans?

Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip in a star bowl.

Recipe

Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip in a star bowl.
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5 from 14 votes

Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip [Aldi copycat]

Author Katerina | Once a Foodie

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients

  • 270 g jar of semi sundried tomatoes (strips is ideal) – use all of the tomato pieces and additional 6 tbsp of the oil
  • 150 g raw unsalted cashews
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 2-3 stalks fresh basil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used raspberry balsamic vinegar)

Instructions

  • Place the sundried tomato, oil, cashews and parmesan into your food processor and blitz briefly, until the ingredients come together but the texture is still very lumpy.
  • Add the basil, garlic and balsamic vinegar into the food processor and blitz again until the ingredients are well incorporated and the cashews are processed into smallish pieces (but not a paste, you want some texture). If I get some larger cashew pieces, I don't mind.
  • You can serve this straight away, with crackers or veggie straws.
  • Leftover dip will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Notes

This makes quite a lot of dip so unless you’re having a party, I’d say consider making a half amount first. That said, if you love sundried tomatoes and you love pesto, then absolutely feel free to make the full amount. You won’t regret it.
This dip is also delicious as spread on your morning toast or instead of butter or relish in your sandwich. I have not tried this (as it disappears too quickly every time I make it) but I also suspect it would go great mixed into some cooked pasta, as pesto sauce. Let me know if you’ve tried it this way, I’d love to know.
 
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Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip in a star bowl.

Recipe notes

This makes quite a lot of dip so unless you’re having a party, I’d say consider making a half amount first. That said, if you love sundried tomatoes and you love pesto, then absolutely feel free to make the full amount. You won’t regret it.

This dip is also delicious as spread on your morning toast or instead of butter or relish in your sandwich. I have not tried this (as it disappears too quickly every time I make it) but I also suspect it would go great mixed into some cooked pasta, as pesto sauce. Let me know if you’ve tried it this way, I’d love to know.

Sundried tomato and balsamic pesto dip in a star bowl.

PS – travel posts are coming!

Thank you SO MUCH for your lovely comments on my last post! I am so encouraged by your lovely words. I will put together a few posts from our recent travels over my Christmas/New Year break and post them (along with my usual food posts) for you all to enjoy. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a New Year – thank you for your friendship and support in 2020; as always, I very much appreciate it.

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