Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip

Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Back when you were in university or college, did the psychology department run studies that you could volunteer for? Mine did, and I signed up because they’d pay me to do something as easy as sit in a room for 30 minutes, look at at computer-generated facial expressions and press buttons on a keyboard. That would immediately translate into a handful of cash for that night’s bar hopping, and when you’re a student, that sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

tomatoes and jalapeno

These days I’m not part of any university studies, but I am the subject of loads of n=1 studies. That is, studies run by myself, on myself.

salsa and peppers

As we all know, what our bodies thrive on can be completely different from one person to the next. For example, in my early teens I gave up red meat because it seemed to make me feel sluggish, and today I don’t eat much of it unless I suspect my iron is low. As for animal products in general, I’ve never been full-on vegan or vegetarian, nor do I think I ever will be. However, through all the trial and error (and there have been lots of errors) one thing is for sure: my body seems to do best on a primarily plant-based diet with loads of fruits and veggies.

black beans

Another example: dairy. As a teenager I had nightmare skin and tried every medication, cream and cleanser to get rid of the acne that I was genetically “blessed” with. As I grew out of those awkward years into my 20s (and partly thanks to Accutane, an entirely separate controversial conversation), my skin improved and breakouts were less crazy. These days things seem to be under control, but through another series of n=1 experiments, I’ve come to the conclusion that a sure-fire way to kick my internal acne factory back into production is to consume dairy products. Eggs seem to be ok, but milk and yogurt – watch out!

bell peppers

It seems I’m not alone – numerous studies have investigated this topic and Google spins up 398,000 results like this one for the “link between dairy and acne”. Now don’t get me wrong – I’m definitely not claiming dairy is “bad”. As I stated above, what one person’s body thrives on can be a total disaster for somebody else and it’s all about finding what you thrive on. Luckily for me and my dairy-free friends, there are so many alternatives available – nut milks, cashew cheese and coconut yogurt just to name a few – that it doesn’t feel like we’re missing out at all.

Ingredients for Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip - Eat Spin Run Repeat

My friend Alisa is the blogger behind Go Dairy Free, which (I’m pretty sure) is the biggest, most popular dairy-free blog out there. She’s put together some fabulous tools for people looking to transition to a dairy-free diet including this getting started page, a free e-cookbook, and tons of recipesWhether you need to go dairy-free for medical reasons, or if you just want to give it a try as part of your own little self experiment, she is a go-to resource!

Ingredients for Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Recently Alisa asked if I’d like to be part of her 2nd annual Dairy-Free Blogger Potluck, a series of 10 recipes created by bloggers that cater to a dairy-free lifestyle. I chose the healthy snack category, and after brainstorming a bunch of options, decided on a lightened-up Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip.

Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Although the list below looks like a lot of ingredients, many are repeated in more than one layer and the only tool you need is a blender or food processor to whirl them all up. Serve it with your dippers of choice (crackers, veggies, chips, etc) and I’m pretty sure it won’t be long before you’re looking at the bottom of the bowl!

Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip

by Angela Simpson

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients (7-8 cups)

    Layer 1:

    • 540mL can black beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1/4 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 2 peeled limes
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 seeded jalapeno pepper

    Layer 2:

    • 341mL can yellow corn, drained and rinsed if canned

    Layer 3:

    • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
    • 2 peeled limes
    • 200g silken tofu
    • a few pinches of stevia

    Layer 4:

    • 1 each yellow, red and orange diced bell peppers

    Layer 5:

    • 3 medium diced tomatoes
    • 1/2 cup salsa

    Layer 6:

    • 2 avocados, mashed
    • 100g silken tofu
    • 1 peeled lime
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 1/2 tsp cumin
    • 1-2 tbsp So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk – added gradually if needed to blend

    Layer 7:

    • scallions, sliced
    • jalapeños sliced (and optionally seeded to reduce spiciness)

    Instructions

    Layer 1: Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth or a little chunky – whatever you prefer! Pour them into a large bowl (ideally one big enough to hold ~10 cups) and tilt the bowl so that the mixture coats the bottom. Rinse the blender jug.

    Layer 2: Pour the corn over the black bean mixture and spread into an even layer.

    Layer 3: Add all ingredients to the blender/food processor jug and blend until smooth. Pour this layer over the corn and use a spatula or back of a spoon to spread evenly. Rinse the blender jug.

    Layer 4: Scatter the peppers over the creamy chipotle layer.

    Layer 5: Pour the salsa over the peppers, then scatter the diced tomatoes on top.

    Layer 6: Add all ingredients to the blender/food processor jug and blend until smooth. Pour this layer over the tomatoes and use a spatula or back of a spoon to spread evenly. Rinse the blender jug.

    Layer 7: Sprinkle the scallions and jalapeno slices over the avocado layer.

    Click here to print the recipe.

    Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip - Eat Spin Run Repeat

    [Tweet “Get your (healthy) snack on: Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip #dairyfree @so_delicious”]

    Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip - Eat Spin Run Repeat

    If you’re interested in test driving a dairy-free diet, So Delicious Dairy Free is hosting a 21-day Dairy Free Challenge from January 21st – February 10th. You can join any time, and all the info can be found in this Facebook group. You’ll find support, recipes, and awesome giveaways for gift cards, food kits and even a trip for 2 to Boulder, Colorado.

    As an added bonus for those of you who love Instagram, for every photo of a dairy-free meal or snack uploaded with #DairyFree4Good during the official challenge dates, So Delicious Dairy Free will make a $1 donation to Farm Sanctuary.

    So now I’d love to hear from you. Tell me…

    • Do you follow a dairy-free (or mostly dairy-free) diet? What were your reasons for doing so? Have you found that it’s made a big difference?
    • Have you done any self experiments when it comes to your nutrition regimen? Any interesting findings?

    Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by So Delicious Dairy Free, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Eat Spin Run Repeat and the companies I partner with!

    24 thoughts on “Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip

    1. This dip looks unreal and I am normally a dairy consumer.

      I am doing a ketosis kick start for my running season so I am dairy free for the month of January so this is a perfect recipe. An interesting finding I have had is that you CAN consume coconut oil alone and that it actually doesn’t taste that terrible. 🙂

    2. Angela, I can almost taste this dip just looking at it. Crisp and fresh! Maybe I should just go make it to satisfy my imagination! Thank you for this one. I had some pretty crazy “jobs” in college, too. Great years, weren’t they? Bottling wine at a winery wasn’t half bad!

    3. I’m dairy free! I’m dairy free! And this looks sooo yummy.
      I’m dairy free since more than a year. My skin would be dry and scratch on my face and I would become red after eating dairy such as yogurt or mozzarella. I consulted with a Naturopath who advised me to cut off dairy products (except goat cheese), but I cut off all dairy including goat since then (hard for a French woman) and I feel much better and my skin looks better too. Every time I eat something with some dairy unfortunately, my skin becomes red again.
      The problem is, I’d rather not eat meat at all (which is what I do almost of the time), but when I’m invited somewhere or in a restaurant etc, I have to choose the chicken over the cheese. Otherwise I take the fish. Here in Belgium or in France it’s almost impossible to find any vegan option, the “vegetarian” one is always dairy-full. So I can’t be a full vegetarian, I’m a a pescetarian 😉
      And the lobbies are so strong! Did you know that the French recommendations advise people to eat at least 3 dairy products a day!!

      1. Thanks so much for sharing, Marine! It sounds like you’ve figured out what does and doesn’t work for you when it comes to food. It’s funny you mention having a hard time finding vegan options at restaurants in France because you’re definitely not the first person who has made that comment. I wonder why that is? Our Canadian food guide also suggests that dairy be part of our daily diets, and there’s an obvious connection with protecting the dairy industry there, but I’ve found that it’s getting easier and easier to find vegan options, even in “non-specialized” restaurants. Then again, I also live in Vancouver which is very progressive in terms of health and wellness, so my opinion may be slightly biased.
        Either way, I hope that soon you’ll be able to get the same sort of experience in France and Belgium that people have come to expect here in Canada. 🙂

    4. I’ll be making this dip for Super Bowl Sunday. May I ask what kind of chips/crackers are pictured with it? They look tasty.

        1. Megan, I’m not sure if you’re in Canada but Costco has them! The originals anyway – there are lots of other flavours but I think the original Mary’s Gone Crackers will always be my faves. If you don’t have access to a Costco, try the natural foods section of your grocery store. They might be a bit more expensive there but they’re really good!

    5. This looks awesome and I am always looking for more recipes for our house. My son has several severe food allergies including dairy and soy… Any thoughts on something else to use beside the tofu? Thanks for your thoughts!

      1. Hi Molly,
        Great question! You want to create a creamy consistency. For the avocado layer, you could easily just leave out the tofu and turn it into a guacamole instead. Or, for both the avocado layer and the chipotle layer, you could use So Delicious Cultured Almondmilk or another non-dairy yogurt to do the same thing. I think a coconut one might create a coconut flavour that is a bit stronger than what you’re looking for here, but an almond-based one would have a more mild taste. I hope that helps!

    6. I made this dip and it was amazing!!! So tasty and full of flavor! However, it took me over an hour to make due to all the prep work of cutting vegetables and peeling limes! How exactly are you supposed to peel a lime? It took me forever and I only did three because I didn’t read the recipe right and only bought 3 limes! LOL
      Do you happen to have the nutrition information for the recipe?
      Thanks, Dawn

      1. Hi Dawn! I’m so glad you made it and loved it, but sorry it took you so long! It sounds like you might have given the lime peeling a little more time than I did – I literally just take a knife to them and remove the entire peel (green and white parts, because the white stuff can make dips really bitter – I learned that the hard way!) As for nutrition info, I just did a really quick My Fitness Pal calculation. If your entire recipe is 8 cups, it would work out to be roughly 120 calories per half cup, assuming you’re getting a bit of each of the 7 layers in each half cup. Hope that helps!

    7. Fantastic post!! This looks gorgeous. You two have the right idea—enjoy treats that are like those enjoyed by football fanatics without having to watch a bunch of overpaid big guys with not-that-high-IQs (there! I said it!) tackle each other…and much healthier, homemade treats as well. Thanks.

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