We've all been there. You're at a non-vegan party, trying to make do with the hummus and veggies you brought so at least you'd have one thing to munch on throughout the evening. As so often happens, everyone else loves your offering so much that it's gone in a flash and you're left scavenging the food table for any vegan-friendly scraps. That's when you spy the half-eaten Five-Layer Mexican Dip. You can see that at least three of the layers are plant-based (beans, guac and salsa), so you slyly try to scrape away the sour cream and cheese layers with a tortilla chip to get to the cruely-free layers below. Inevidably, it's too much work and you end up with sour cream on your plate (and you never even liked that in your non-vegan days). You sigh and decide to get by with chips alone, again.
Don't let this happen to you anymore! I have a super-easy Five-Layer Mexican Dip that will satisfy you and all of your friends, vegan or not. Here's the recipe. It will serve about 24 people at a party:
2 15-oz. cans vegan refried beans (Whole Foods 365 Organic Chile and Lime flavor is cheap and very creamy)
1 package (12 oz.) El Burrito SoyTaco Meatless Taco Filling
2 cups (16 oz.) guacamole (I like Trader Joe's Avocado's Number Guacamole, use both packages in box)
8 oz. fresh salsa (try Sharky's Orginal from their salsa bar)
2 8-oz. containers We Can't Say It's Cheese Mexi Cheddar-Style Dip
tortilla chips
romaine lettuce leaves
cut up veggies
It is fun to make you're own salsa and guacamole, but if you're in a hurry and your avocadoes aren't ripe yet, Trader Joe's Avocado's Number Guacamole is really handy. It is has a mild, fresh taste and can be frozen if you don't get to it in time. If you want to save time, you can buy everything at Whole Foods, including the guacamole. If you want to save a little money and have the freshest chips, salsa and guac around, swing by one of Sharky's many Los Angeles locations. I bought two of their GIANT orders of chips and salsa there for less than seven dollars just yesterday. A note about We Can't Say It's Cheese Mexi Cheddar Spread: it is very creamy and stands in for both the sour cream and the cheese found in the non-vegan version. And it's made from oats and is soy-, gluten-, and nut-free so people with allergies can enjoy it too.
OK, here's how to assemble your five-layer masterpiece. I like to serve it on the warm side, but you can leave it cold if you want to:
Warm beans in a pan over medium heat. Cook SoyTaco Meatless Taco Filling according to package directions. Spread beans evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 glass casserole dish. Layer taco filling on top. Add guacamole, then spoon salsa on top of that. Top with We Can't Say It's Cheese Mexi Cheddar-Style Dip. I took this photo of the dip I made last night before bringing it to a party where it was promtly devoured.
Serve with tortilla chips and veggies for dipping. I especially like eating it with the romaine lettuce leaves because they are so crunchy and fresh tasting. It's an easy way to cut down on the number of chips you eat too.
Alyssa Boyle aka "The Cavewoman," is the owner of Cavewoman Bars and enjoys gathering fruits and veggies and turning them into mouth-watering creations with as little processing as possible. You can find her at www.cavewomanbars.com and on Twitter and Facebook.
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