Traditional spinach artichoke dip is loaded with cheese, cream cheese, and sometimes, even sour cream. This vegan artichoke dip recipe takes inspiration from the classic appetizer, but it is not meant to be a perfect copycat. Instead, it depends a lot less on vegan dairy products to bring the flavor, and a lot more on silken tofu and roasted garlic!
Blended silken tofu is the perfect base for this dip. It’s creamy, but mostly tasteless. It isn’t loaded with oil or sodium. Roasted garlic is mellow, but has a round, savory flavor. The smallest bit of vegan parmesan adds some umami and salt. And lemon zest brings some acidity and brightness. In the end, it’s a hot vegan spinach artichoke dip that’s flavorful, creamy and very simple to make.
A few notes…
- ・To keep it simple, I bought 25 cloves of roasted garlic off of an olive bar at my local grocer, and used that in the recipe. You can also make your own roasted garlic.
- ・If it doesn’t taste quite right, add more salt.
This is the perfect dip for Super Bowl parties, holiday celebrations or any time you want a delicious tasty vegan snack.
Roasted Garlic Spinach Artichoke Dip
12.3 ounce package of silken tofu, extra firm
1 large bulb of roasted garlic, divided in half (OR ~25 cloves of roasted garlic) (see note above)
⅓ cup nutritional yeast
½-1 tsp fresh lemon zest (I zested the same lemon that I used for the lemon juice. Keep it simple!)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
12 ounce package frozen spinach leaves
12 ounce package of frozen artichoke hearts
¼ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup vegan milk
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
⅓ cup vegan parmesan (I used Follow Your Heart Parmesan)
Salt and black pepper
Sliced baguette, to dip
1. In a food processor or blender, add silken tofu, 10 roasted garlic cloves (or ½ the cloves from the roasted garlic bulb), nutritional yeast, ½-1 tsp fresh lemon peel, and salt. Blend until very, very smooth and creamy. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add onion, olive oil, a dash of salt and a good amount of black pepper. Sauté for ~7 minutes, stirring every now and then.
3. Add frozen spinach, frozen artichoke hearts, and 15 cloves of garlic (or the other ½ of the cloves from the roasted garlic bulb). Sauté until the artichoke hearts and spinach are no longer frozen and cooked through (~5-7 minutes).
4. Preheat the oven to BROIL on HIGH. Remove from heat, and stir in silken tofu mixture, lemon juice, vegan milk, vegan parmesan, salt and black pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings, if needed (more lemon? salt?).
5. Grease a medium round casserole dish, and spoon the dip into it. BROIL on HIGH for 5-10 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of browned on top. Watch very closely to make sure it does not burn. Remove from the oven, and serve immediately with warmed or lightly toasted sliced baguette for dipping.
