Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip (Creamy & Healthy!)
If you want a creamy appetizer that does not depend on heavy dairy ingredients, then you need to try my vegan spinach artichoke dip. I use potatoes, cashews, and white beans to form the rich base and bake it until the top is lightly golden with a smooth scoopable inside. It takes just 40 minutes to make, but in my house, it disappears in just 10 minutes.
Servings: 8
Calories: 115kcal
Ingredients
- 10 ounces frozen or fresh spinach defrosted (about 8 packed cups fresh spinach)
- 14 ounces artichoke hearts 1 can (make sure they are in water and not oil)
- ½ cup sliced green onion
- drizzle oil to sauté or broth or water
- ¾ cup cooked potato about 1 medium potato (see note)
- ¾ cup raw cashews see note
- ¾ cup cooked white beans drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk I use cashew
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ - 1 cup vegan parmesan to top (optional, use store bought or homemade)
- crushed red pepper for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 175 C
- Squeeze out the water from the defrosted frozen spinach if using frozen, use your hands and squeeze until most of the water is removed. You will get one cup spinach after removing the water.
- Then, squeeze out the water from the artichoke hearts in the same way. You will get one cup artichoke hearts after removing the water.
- Sauté the spinach (if using fresh just put it right into the pan), artichoke hearts and green onion with a drizzle of oil, broth or water over medium heat until they are hot and just begin to brown. Add more oil, broth or water as needed so they don’t stick. But also be careful to sauté until all the liquid is gone. Takes about 5 or so minutes. Set aside.
- Place potato, cashews, white beans, milk, garlic, vinegar and salt into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Add sautéed veggies and pulse to incorporate. Pulse only a few times if you want the dip chunky, and more if you prefer it with smaller pieces.
- If using a bread bowl, then cut the top off and scoop out the soft bread inside (you can use your hands), leaving about a ½ inch border of bread.
- Pour mixture into the bread bowl (you may have a little left over depending on how big your bread bowl is) or a square baking dish (I used 8 x 8). You can also use a skillet if you prefer. If using a bread bowl, put it on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle Parmesan over the top if using.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is beginning to brown and the dip is heated through. Everything is cooked already so no need to worry about the veggies cooking, but you want it nice and heated all the way through.
- Once done, you can take out the dip and add the bread top and bread pieces to the cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes to get a slight crisp. This is totally optional.
- Enjoy nice and warm with the bread pieces, your favorite tortilla chips, veggies and crackers!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this vegan spinach artichoke dip recipe is to remove as much moisture from the spinach and artichokes as possible, before cooking. If I skip this step, the extra liquid prevents the dip from thickening properly as it bakes, which can leave the texture thin or separated rather than creamy.
- Use a warm potato: A warm cooked potato blends more smoothly than a cold potato and helps the base become creamier.
- Toast cashews: I toast my cashews lightly, until they just start to take on color. These add a richer flavor and color to the dip.
- Blend thoroughly: I blend the base until completely smooth before adding the vegetables, so the texture stays velvety.
- Brown vegetables: Allowing the spinach and onions to lightly brown adds a more intense savory flavor to the dip.
- Serve hot: The texture and flavor are best hot. I give this dip a few minutes to rest, then serve it immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g