Raw Vegan Soaked Sunflower Seed Tahini Basil Pate (Recipe!)

By Anna Speaks
Sep 12, 2016

As much as we love hummus to death, sometimes one just needs to mix up the dips a little bit, right?

Having something healthy, versatile, and full of flavor - which also just so happens to keep really well - is so helpful when strategizing healthy snack and meal ideas for the week - hence why hummus is a go-to for many of us. This recipe, while similar, subs in soaked sunflower seeds for the 'bonzo beans, keeping things raw and legume-free, yet still rich in protein. And don't worry tahini fans, there's still plenty of your beloved sesame butter in this recipe too. The addition of fresh basil and red bell pepper is like an explosion of garden-fresh flavor in the mouth. It's creamy and dense enough to glide right over bread or crackers, is a delicious way to add a little more pizazz to raw veggie sticks, and can even be watered down a bit for a tasty salad dressing. We loved spreading this on rice cakes with fresh tomatoes, extra basil leaves, and mashed avocado, or adding a hefty scoop to a salad with an extra drizzle of olive oil instead of dressing. You've got to give this one a go this weekend!

The Recipe

Raw Vegan Soaked Sunflower Seed Tahini Basil Pate

Makes roughly 16oz

Ingredients

3/4 cup sunflower seeds, soaked (soak at least 4 hours, or overnight to make it easy)

3 Tbs hemp seeds

1/4 cup Dastony Stone Ground Sesame Tahini

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp coconut aminos

1/2 bell pepper

1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1 medium clove garlic

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

1/4 cup pure water

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse thoroughly your soaked sunflower seeds.

2. Place soaked sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor with lemon juice and chopped bell pepper. Blend or process. Doing this first will help the blade catch.

3. Add in all remaining ingredients except fresh basil leaves (you may also want to leave our the salt at this point if you prefer to add it to taste), and blend or process until smooth.

4. Add in fresh basil leaves and blend or process only briefly. This helps the flavor remain vibrant as fresh herbs tend to oxidize and turn slightly bitter if overblended.

ENJOY!