Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Dairy and I just don’t get along, but sometimes I crave a warm creamy dip—this vegan spinach and artichoke dip is the answer. It is so good, the picture really doesn’t do it justice. I’ll be working on that! This is another one of those amazing plant-based recipes that is so freaking much healthier than the original version, but just as good, why would I ever go back? The creamy base of this dip is cashews, which means this dip not only tastes amazing but it’s a great source of protein too, so load it up!
10 Ingredients, 6 Simple Steps
This vegan spinach and artichoke dip is really easy and quick to make! To start, add the cashews and boiling water to the pitcher of your blender. Let the cashews soak in the hot water for about 10 minutes. You will need a good high-power blender to cream up those cashews. I have a KitchenAid K400 Blender and love it. This is a workhorse appliance at my house. I’ve tested out a Vitamix in the past and what I prefer about the KitchenAid is that it can also double as a food processor. Plus KitchenAid is an amazing company and they send me replacement parts when needed. I abuse kitchen appliances and this one passes the test!
While the cashews are soaking, dice up a yellow onion. Add some olive oil to a saucepan and kick it up to high, once the pan warms up toss in the onion. Stir the onion so it doesn’t burn. Turn the heat down to medium-high and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and slightly browning. Then add the minced garlic. Cook for an additional minute or two until the garlic is cooked. Smell that delicious concoction you are brewing on the stove!
Next, add the onion/garlic mixture to the blender pitcher with the cashews and water. Blend on high until smooth. This should be a thick texture, almost like peanut butter, but not as gooey. Once blended, add the cashew onion mixture back into the sauce pan.
Add all of the remaining ingredients to the saucepan: nutritional yeast, salt, fresh spinach, artichokes, and white vinegar. Mix together and then cook on low until the spinach is wilted, about 2-5 minutes. Ta-dah! There you have it, the most delicious and nutritious spinach & artichoke dip, sans dairy. Yum!
What is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional yeast aka nooch is one of my favorite go to seasonings. It is a nutrient dense deactivated yeast, meaning you can’t make bread out of this stuff. It does however come from an ancient strain of yeast that is the same as brewers and bakers yeast. Nutritional yeast is savory, it has a nutty cheesy like taste. It is very commonly used in vegan cheese sauces. You might not be surprised from the name, but nutritional yeast is, you guessed it, super nutritious. It’s high in protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron, and potassium. We love to sprinkle this goodness on top of homemade popcorn, yum!
What to Dip?
So many good things to dip in this dip! We love a good cracker with this spinach and artichoke dip—Firehook’s rosemary and sea salt crackers are our favorite. Tortilla chips also work well or pick your favorite kind of veggie!
PrintVegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Delicious easy-peasy recipe for a dairy-free, vegan spinach and artichoke dip. This healthy dip is made with cashews and nutritional yeast.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Plant based
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 1/2 cups of boiling water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 cup chopped marinated artichokes
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- Add raw cashews to the pitcher of a blender. Pour boiling water over cashews and let sit for 10 minutes.
- While the cashews are soaking—add the olive oil to a saucepan and turn the heat up to high until the oil gets hot, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and saute until the onion is translucent and slightly browning, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently so the onion doesn’t burn.
- Add the minced garlic to the saucepan and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the onion/garlic mixture to the blender pitcher and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and add the nutritional yeast, salt, chopped spinach, chopped artichokes, and white vinegar. Stir to combine all ingredients. Add more water if the dip is too thick.
- Cook on medium-low, until the spinach is wilted. About 2-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure the dip doesn’t burn on the bottom. Then you’re ready to serve and enjoy, yum!
Notes
Delicious hot or cold. Great with pita chips, flatbread crackers, or tortilla chips.
