Are you looking for a vegan version of this classic dish? Well, look no further. This cashew spinach artichoke dip is nutritious, creamy and tasty.
We used to love the classic spinach and artichoke dip. It is warm, creamy and cheesy. In this recipe, we replaced all the cheese and mayo with cashews, but kept the rest of the ingredients simple. You can serve this dip heated or we even keep this in the fridge and have it cold as well. It makes a great spread for crackers, it’s perfect in wraps or on sandwiches, and it’s a wonderful as a dip for vegetables.
To save time, we used canned artichokes in this recipe. We like the Native Forest brand. You can also look for some that have been grilled and marinated. These will add even more flavour. Just make sure to drain them first.
This may surprise you, but artichokes have A LOT of health benefits. Because they are fibre rich, artichokes are a great prebiotic and, therefore, beneficial for your gut microbiome. They also rank amongst the highest vegetables for antioxidants. They help to combat oxidative stress related to chronic diseases and aging. If you would like to read more about antioxidants, see our Wellness Post. Come right back though, for some cashew spinach artichoke dip!
Artichokes also help to combat inflammation in the body and contain phytochemical compounds that may stop the growth of tumours and cysts. They are also beneficial for the liver. So, find ways to add some artichokes to your diet! This dip is great start!
A couple of other great condiments in our arsenal are this Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus or this Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. If you’re looking for more dipping snacks, try our Vegan Cashew Queso Dip or Classic Baba Ganoush.
Please let us know if you make the Cashew Spinach Artichoke Dip. Leave a comment and a rating and don’t forget to tag us @plantedandpicked on Instagram and hashtag it #plantedandpicked.
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, socked 4 hours, drained
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 4 cups spinach, washed and chopped
- 1 14oz can artichokes about 1 ½ cups
- ⅙ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Soak cashews for 4 hours. Drain.
- In a high speed blender, add cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, water and onion powder. Blend until very creamy. Add a little more water if it is too thick to blend. Scoop into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add diced onion, garlic and sea salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Onions should be translucent. Add to the cashew mixture.
- Wash and chop the spinach. Add to the pan and gently wilt until all the water has evaporated. Add this to the cashew mixture as well.
- Drain and chop the artichokes.
- Add the artichokes and cayenne to the cashew mixture. Stir all ingredients together. Feel free to add more chopped artichokes if you like it chunkier.
- This dip tastes best when it has some time to sit and let the flavours blend. It is also great heated in an oven proof dish with a cover and served warm with crackers and crudité.
Where does the artichoke come into this recipe?
Thanks for the recipe and your time!
Hello Cheryl, once the spinach has been chopped, quickly cooked in the pan, and then added to the case mixture, in Step 4, you drain and chop the artichokes in Step 5, and add them, together with the cayenne pepper, to the cashew mixture in Step 6. Enjoy!