Dairy Free Coriander and Chilli Dip

Every week we go shopping at the market for fruit and vegetables. Sometimes it feels as though I am trying to beat the clock by eating everything while it is fresh and in perfect condition. On Sunday, my fridge is burstingly full with every single space taken up by fruit and vegetables and we systematically eat the things that don't last first finishing with hardier longer lasting vegetables.

Coriander is one herb that I have never been able to grow so we always buy it. I love the aroma and flavour of it but a little goes a long way and I often find myself throwing out a wilted, sometimes wet and slimy bunch that I've forgotten at the bottom of my crisper. But because I hate to throw out perfectly good fresh herbs, I've started experimenting with making nutty herb dips and using whatever leftover herbs I have for a delicious spread on breads.

Nut based dips at the supermarket are always delicious but because they contain nuts, they're often a bit more expensive. Making them however is actually really easy and just requires a food processor. Since I've started making these dips to eat on the weekend or to put on Mr NQN's sandwiches, there hasn't been a dead bunch of herbs to throw away too.

You can switch the herbs on this to use basil or Thai basil but I used a little parsley I had leftover and some coriander. To it I added chilli, sun dried tomato and a couple of tablespoons of oil and roasted cashews. I lightened it up with the juice of half a lemon and this also meant that this was lower in oil and a sprinkling of sumac on top for flavour and colour.

So tell me Dear Reader, do you try to use up everything so that you don't throw it out? Is there something that you never quite finish?

Asian Coriander and Chilli Dip

An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella

• 1/2 bunch fresh herbs (I used coriander and parsley)
• 1 cup roasted cashews
• 2 tablespoons sliced sun dried tomatoes
• 2-3 tablespoons of oil from the sun dried tomatoes (or extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 long red chilli
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• Sprinkle of sumac

Step 1 - Place all of the ingredients except sumac in a food processor and process until spreadable. Sprinkle with sumac and serve with flat bread or crackers.