Green Coriander & Carrot Dip with Spices & Flaxseed OIl

A Healthy, Tasty, Flax-rich Dip

This recipe is here because a friend asked it. He enjoyed my simple, tasty approach to healthy eating so I down for him.  It is vibrant dip full of flavour and made entirely from wholefood ingredients. It contains only good fats, including cold-pressed flaxseed oil.

Unlike many supermarket dips, it contains no refined oils or unnecessary additives. Just real ingredients blended together to create something satisfying, nutritious and surprisingly versatile.

Food That Helps You Feel Better

Over the years I’ve come to rely on simple, nourishing foods like this as part of an anti-inflammatory way of eating. That generally means plenty of vegetables and fruit, lots of fibre, minimal processing and good-quality fats. Cold-pressed flaxseed oil has long been my preferred oil because of its omega-3 content and it makes lovely dips.

Eating this way doesn’t have to feel restrictive. In fact, once you get used to it, the flavours of simple foods become much more vivid. When meals are rich in vegetables, herbs, seeds and good oils, they are deeply satisfying and help you stay comfortably full.

This dip is a good example. It turns everyday vegetables and herbs into something that feels rich and indulgent while still being incredibly nourishing.

Good Ingredients for tasty, healthy food

I find using fresh herbs and spices makes tasty food that needs little or no salt. One of my favourite “healthy” ingredients is nutritional yeast, sometimes called “nooch”. It has a naturally savoury flavour that tastes of cheese, a bit like  Parmesan. I find it a useful alternative to cheese, with no saturated fat and no salt to help cut down on some of these things we tend to get too much of in our diets.  It’s also naturally rich in B vitamins, protein, high in fibre and omega-3.

Combined with herbs, vegetables and flaxseed oil, it creates a dip that sits somewhere between a green sauce and a vegetable pâté.

Once people try it, they often find themselves making it again and again because it’s so quick, easy and adaptable. If you are following OMS or a similar, this is a great way to get the essential omega-3 into your diet.

How to Enjoy It

This dip is delicious with baked sweet or white potatoes, spread on toast or crackers,

It is good in sandwiches or stirred into soups, stews or salads to add extra flavour, and it makes an excellent pasta sauce.

For a particularly satisfying combination, try it with seeded chickpea flatbread. Together they provide so many different plant foods and plenty of fibre, that I’m sure Professor Tim Spector (Zoe) would approve.

Ingredients

Makes a generous batch (around 4–8 servings). Quantities are flexible — adjust depending on what you have available.

1 bunch fresh coriander, or mixed herbs such as parsley, basil, chives or chervil
1–4 garlic cloves, peeled
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1–2 teaspoons ground turmeric
½ teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin (optional)
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)
½–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
1–2 sticks celery, with leaves if available
2 cooked carrots
1 yellow or golden sweet pepper
3–6 tablespoons flaxseed oil (or a flaxseed and olive oil blend)
Juice of one lemon

Method

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor.

Blend until smooth, adjusting the texture to your preference.

If the mixture is too thick, add a little extra flaxseed oil, more lemon juice, another piece of sweet pepper or a splash of tomato juice.

Serve and enjoy.

Store in the refrigerator and use within three days.