Recently, I got a note from one of my tester friends, Kip Dorrell, who had added spinach and artichoke hearts to the Fettucine Alfredo sauce from my cookbook, American Vegan Kitchen. With a sprinkling of vegan cheese, she magically turned it into Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip.
Of course, I had to head to the kitchen and play with this recipe even further. I kept some of the basic elements of the sauce, but couldn’t resist making further tweaks and additions to perfect this creamy vegan dip. We happen to like mozzarella-style cheese in this, but I’m sure dairy-free Monterey jack or the pepperjack shreds would also be delicious.
We were pleased with the results and plan to have it again for New Year’s Eve. It will be perfect paired with champagne. Thank you, Kip!
Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Spinach and Artichoke Dip
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- ¾ cup cashews
- ⅔ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 ccallions, chopped
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Generous pinch black pepper
- ½ Cup frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
- ½ cup drained and chopped artichoke hearts
- ½ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese alternative (such as Daiya, for soy-free)
- 2 tablespoons minced sun-dried tomatoes
- Pinch smoked paprika
- Nonstick spray
- Crusty bread, corn chips And vegetables, for dipping
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Combine the cashews, broth, pine nuts, vinegar, capers, scallions, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until completely smooth and no grit remains.
- Stir in the spinach, artichoke hearts, cheese alternative and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Spray a 9 or 10-inch pie plate with nonstick spray.
- Spread the dip into the skillet and sprinkle lightly with the paprika.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown.
- Serve hot with the dippers.
