Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip
My mom has been serving us spinach dip every single year for Christmas, for as long as I can remember. It’s the dish she always brings when there’s a birthday or family gathering. The holidays will certainly be different this year as we won’t be seeing each other, so I thought I’d at least make something that would remind me of all the previous holidays spent together.
My mom’s version is very basic and uses all store-bought: mayo, sour cream, packaged frozen spinach, and Knorr soup mix. I went the plant-based and whole foods route here and it turned out so good - even better than the original. And the best part is it feels a lot better on my body than the original, too.
This dip is super creamy, flavourful and totally crowd-pleasing for vegans and non-vegans alike. There’s an irresistible umami and richness from the miso, nutritional yeast and onion flakes, with a bit of heat from the cayenne pepper and sweetness from the sundried tomatoes. This creamy goodness is seriously hard to resist and I constantly find myself going back to the bowl for more.
Notes:
- The couple tablespoons of vegan mayo are optional here - I’ve made this recipe with and without and it’s equally delicious, although the mayo makes it a tad bit richer and closer to the original dip my mom used to make.
- This dip is great made the day before serving; just place it in the fridge overnight and cook it the next day, the flavours will have plenty of time to mingle and it will be even tastier. If making the same day, I’d recommend letting it sit at least a couple hours in the fridge before cooking. You can serve it hot (straight from the oven), but I like it best served warm, when I let it cool off a bit after cooking.
Vegan Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
Olive oil, for cooking
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 x 14 oz (398 ml) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
5 oz (142 g.) baby spinach
1 1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
1 cup plant-based milk (I used oat milk)
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp white or light miso
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp onion flakes (or 1 tsp onion powder)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I used the oil-packed variety)
Black pepper
2 tbsp vegan mayo (optional, see note)
Chopped green onion, to garnish (optional)
METHOD
Start by soaking the cashews. Place the cashews in a small bowl. Heat a kettle of water, then pour the hot water over the cashews and let them soak for at least 5 minutes to soften while you cook the vegetables.
In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and the garlic fragrant, but not browned, about 2 minutes.
Add the chopped artichoke hearts and cook, stirring often for 1-2 more minutes. Then add the spinach and 1 teaspoon of sea salt and stir. The skillet will be crowded but don’t worry, it will reduce quite a bit. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach is completely wilted, about 6-7 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, drain the soaked cashews and rinse well. Transfer to a high speed blender, then add the milk, nutritional yeast, miso, lemon juice, onion flakes (or powder), cayenne pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Blend on high until you get a smooth, creamy sauce.
When the vegetables are done cooking, remove from the heat. Measure out one cup of the artichoke and spinach mixture (reserving the rest) and place in the blender with the creamy sauce. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes, season generously with black pepper and pulse a couple times, just enough to combine (don’t blend, we want to leave some chunky texture). Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (salt, cayenne, onion flakes, etc).
Transfer the reserved artichoke and spinach mixture to a large container or bowl and pour the creamy mixture on top. Stir well to combine. At this point, you can add the vegan mayo if using (see note). Cover and place in the fridge overnight, or at least a couple hours to let the flavours mingle.
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the dip from the refrigerator and transfer to a round shallow baking dish (I used a 8” x 2” oven-safe bowl). Sprinkle with chopped green onion if you’d like (optional). Cook for 20 minutes, or until the edges lightly start to brown. Remove from the oven, and serve right away if you prefer it hot, or let it cool for 5-7 minutes and serve warm. Serve with a good sourdough baguette, crackers or pita.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit and Nora Cooks.
