Outrageously Good Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- raw cashews 1.33 cup
- sourdough boule or round country loaf at least 10 inches / 25 cm in diameter 1
- water 2 cup
- nutritional yeast 0.33 cup
- freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tbsp
- kosher salt 2 tsp
- Freshly
- tapioca starch/flour ¼ cup
- extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
- vegan butter or more olive oil 1 tbsp
- medium shallots 2
- garlic cloves 6
- quartered artichokes 2
- red pepper flakes ½ tsp
- baby spinach 8-10 oz
- vegan parmesan 0.33-0.5 cup
- Crackers
I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is nearly half as salty than table salt and many sea salts. If you use another salt, start with 1 tsp salt, and adjust to taste. Some readers have had success using arrowroot powder or cornstarch. For frozen spinach, use 8-10 oz and defrost it first. Squeeze the spinach until no more water drips out, then break it up into pieces. Add it all at once to the pan in step 4. It will be lumpy, but once you add the cashew cream, it will incorporate better. Vegan parm enhances the savory, cheesy flavors, but if you don't have it, it’s still good without; consider adding slightly more nutritional yeast. To make this dip without a bread bowl, a few changes: (1) In step 4, use a large ovenproof sauté pan (or large cast iron pan). If using a cast iron pan, you’ll want to stir more because it will thicken quicker in cast iron. (2) Bake the dip in the skillet at 375°F / 190°C for 15 minutes. In step 8, if desired, broil the dip but it may need a couple extra minutes. (3) Use crackers or make croutons/crostini for dipping. Storage: The leftover dip can be scooped out of the bread bowl and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend leaving it in the bread bowl because the bread becomes soggy after less than a day. It's delicious on toast! Storage: To freeze, store the leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe container or sealable bags. The texture will change slightly when thawed but is still good.
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1Gather: raw cashews , sourdough boule or round country loaf at least 10 inches / 25 cm in diameter , water , nutritional yeast , freshly squeezed lemon juice , kosher salt , Freshly cracked black pepper to taste, tapioca starch/flour , extra virgin olive oil , vegan butter or more olive oil , medium shallots , garlic cloves , quartered artichokes , red pepper flakes , baby spinach , vegan parmesan . For the for serving: Crackers or crudites of choice for dipping.
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2Cover cashews with boiling water for 10 minutes (or longer) while you prep everything else. Preheat the oven to 375ºF / 190ºC. Arrange one oven rack on the 2nd rack and one oven rack in the bottom (if not making the bread bowl, just one rack in the middle.)
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3Prep the bread bowl (video link here). Slice off the top of the bread/boule. Using a knife, cut around the inside of the bread, but don’t cut through the sides. Scoop out the center of the bread using your hands. Use your hands to tear the bread into pieces about the size of croutons (or you can slice the bread into cubes); do the same with the top of the bread, or keep as a cover for the dip (handy if you're traveling with the dip).
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4Make the cashew cream. Drain and rinse the cashews. Add to a high-powered blender with the water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper to taste. Blend on high speed for a few minutes until thoroughly blended and all cashew bits have been pulverized. Taste, adding more salt or nutritional yeast as desired. Now add the tapioca starch and blend again (it may taste chalky but it will cook off).
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5In a 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once warmed, add the shallots and garlic and cook until golden and aromatic but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the artichokes and, if using, red pepper flakes, and cook for 2-3 minutes . Add a few handfuls of spinach, cook until wilted, and repeat with the rest of the spinach, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
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6Pour in the cashew cream mixture, stirring constantly, for a minute. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer runny and the mixture is thickened and creamy. Turn off the heat. Stir in the parmesan, if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed (I typically don’t need to add any).
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7Toss the torn or cubed bread pieces with some olive oil and season with salt (as if you were making croutons). Spread out on a rimmed sheet pan.
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8Place the hollowed out bread bowl on another rimmed sheet pan. Transfer the dip into the hollowed out cavity and fill to the top but don’t overfill. Transfer the pan with the bread pieces to the bottom rack and the bread bowl dip to the upper rack. Bake both for 15 minutes . Remove the pans from the oven.
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9Optional: For a golden brown top, preheat your broiler for a few minutes (if you have a medium setting, use that). Add the bread bowl dip to the 2nd rack below the heat source (not directly underneath) and broil for just 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly and golden on top, keeping a close eye so the outer rim of the bread doesn’t burn.
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10Cool for a few minutes. Use the toasted bread pieces and/or crackers for dipping.