Creamy, cheesy and bubbling with flavor, this vegan spinach and artichoke dip is getting a plant-based makeover.
Whether you’re preparing for the holidays or looking to spice up the week, I’ve got you covered with this vegan spinach and artichoke dip. It’s creamy, cheesy and bubbling with the melded flavors of fresh spinach, artichoke hearts and caramelized onions and shallots.
The holidays are coming and that means many of us are looking at our holiday menu. What do we make this year? Do we go classic or do we modernize a bit? This vegan spinach and artichoke dip is a blend of the classic appetizer with a modern plant-based twist. We’re swapping dairy and cheese with a homemade cheese sauce made from cashews.
The Ingredients
Spinach. I’m always reminding myself to get my greens in and this is definitely a more fun way to gobble them up! Here, we’re using crisp baby spinach.
Artichoke hearts. Let me be honest: I don’t work with fresh artichokes. Maybe one day. Instead, I’m using freshly prepared artichoke hearts from Whole Foods but you can also used canned or frozen artichoke hearts too.
Caramelized Onions. I wanted to add some additional flavor to this dip, thus, in this recipe, we’re slowly caramelizing onions and shallots with a hint of vegan butter and sugar. The sweetness of the onions paired with the earthy spinach and artichokes is just delicious.
The “cheese”. In this recipe, we’re blending cashews with a handful of clean ingredients (no processed ingredients!) to get a subtly cheesy flavor in a thick and creamy texture. To this day, it still astounds me how versatile cashews are!
Finally, if you’re wondering what to pair this dip with, I’ve got you covered. Some ideas for pairing include crackers of all kinds and flavors, fresh veggies like carrots, broccoli and peppers, or crostinis/sliced bread.
This dip will hold in the refrigerator for a couple of days. However, I highly recommend making it and serving it fresh and hot.
Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Equipment
- 8-9" pie dish
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion
- 1 large shallot
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1.5 tsp coconut or granulated sugar
- 12 oz artichoke hearts
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1.5 cups plant milk
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- First, soak the raw cashews in boiling hot water for ten minutes.
- While the cashews are soaking, slice the onion and shallots into wedges.
- Add the onion, shallot, and olive oil to a skillet. Begin sautéing on high heat.
- When the onions and shallots have softened, about 3-5 minutes, reduce heat to medium low and add the butter and sugar. Continuously stir and brown the caramelized onions and shallots in the skillet. Stir frequently so that it doesn't burn. It will take about 10-15 more minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Roughly chop the spinach and artichoke hearts and place them in a pie pan.
- Add the caramelized onions and shallots to the pie dish and mix until incorporated with the spinach and artichoke hearts.
- Drain the cashews and add them to a blender. Also add the milk, lemon juice, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, and onion powder. Blend until creamy and smooth.
- Pour the cashew cheese over the spinach and artichoke hearts. Do not mix.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Notes
Did you make this? Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thewholescoopblog
