Creamy Vegan Spinach And Artichoke Dip Recipe

We all know the feeling of dipping a chip into thick spinach artichoke that's boasting a rich blend of melted cheese, tangy artichoke hearts, and tender spinach. The satisfying crunch and creamy texture are a match made in heaven and has given this classic recipe fame. You may think that your days of this luscious dip are over now that you follow a vegan lifestyle, but with wholesome ingredients like cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and flavorful seasonings, you can dip away like never before. 

There are many creative ways to use cashews, and luckily for vegans, their ability to mimic cheese is uncanny. When soaked and blended, their naturally mild taste takes on the flavors they're mixed with and produces a rich and silky cheese imposter. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I have been making this dip for years, and everyone loves it, whether they're vegan or not. I also love it because it can be made ahead and warmed up before serving. It's always a hit."

To make this recipe, hit up the produce aisle for an onion, garlic, baby spinach, and a lemon. You may want to add a sprinkle of chives on top for garnish, so grab those if you want a pop of green. Then, you'll need some raw cashews. Look for unsalted and unroasted cashews; that's how you'll get the creamiest cheesy base for this dip. Then, grab two types of artichoke hearts — a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and a can of artichoke hearts packed in water. The combination of the two adds just the right amount of seasoned oil. Then, pick up coconut cream, vegan mayonnaise, and nutritional yeast. If you can't find coconut cream, you can scoop off the cream that forms at the top of a regular can of coconut milk. Finally, check your condiment cabinet for olive oil, onion granules, and salt.

Add the cashews to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Chop all of the artichokes.

Add the oil to a saute pan and bring the heat to medium.

Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the artichokes and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover until the cashew mixture is done.

Drain the cashews and add them to a blender with the lemon juice, coconut cream, vinegar, onion granules, salt, mayonnaise, and nutritional yeast.

Blend until smooth. If your blender needs more liquid to blend properly, add either the juice of half of a lemon or a couple tablespoons of water; you want the mixture to be very thick.

Combine the cashew mixture with the artichoke mixture in a 9-inch round baking dish with a lid. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve. Top with chopped chives, if desired.

There are many ways to serve this delicious creamy vegan spinach artichoke dip. The classic pairing is with tortilla chips or sturdy crackers. Select from the large variety of tortilla chips, choosing options such as white corn, yellow corn, blue corn, multigrain, lime-flavored, or a grain-free option. A mix of crackers is nice, too — try seeded, multigrain, whole wheat, rice, or water crackers.

You can also go the baguette route. Lightly toast slices and serve them alongside the dip, or go ahead and spread them with the dip to make a beautiful bruschetta platter. The dip pairs well with an array of vegetables, also. Try carrots sticks, sliced celery, cucumber rounds, or red pepper strips.

The spinach dip makes a fantastic spread on a grilled panini or wrap with roasted vegetables. A combination of bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini make a great medley to pair with the dip. Or, try making a flatbread base with similar toppings. If you're making stuffed mushrooms, the dip is perfect to use as the filling for an easy appetizer. You can also stuff small fingerling potatoes that have been baked and hollowed out.

There are many ways to add some fun twists to this recipe. Try roasting the garlic before using it to add a deeper, caramelized flavor. Add it to the sauteed artichoke mixture before you add the spinach. To add some umami richness, add 1 tablespoon of white miso paste to the artichoke mixture or 1 tablespoon of tamari soy sauce. For a smoky kick, add in ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika.

If you want to use frozen spinach instead of fresh, you'll need about 1 ½ cups to replace the 4 cups of fresh. After thawing, place the spinach in a clean dish towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Or, put it in a fine mesh strainer and press a wooden spoon against the sides to fully drain it.

To make this recipe nut-free, replace the cashews with silken tofu or soaked and unsalted sunflower seeds. If you want to swap out the coconut cream, use vegan sour cream or a thick unsweetened vegan yogurt.