Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip (Dairy-Free)

In my opinion…dips are life. They’re fun, delicious and can be pretty filling.

Some of my favourites are hummus (protein-rich), guacamole (lots of healthy fats) and honey dijon aioli (super flavourful).

Lately, though, my go-to has been my Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip. Not only is it a crowd-pleaser but it’s also a great pre-make and bake-later option. Win-win.

I made it twice over the holidays and it was a big hit. I usually serve it with a few different options:

• Chips: Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips, Artisan Tropic Plantain Strips or Inka Plantain Chips
• Crackers: Hu Kitchen Everything Crackers, Simple Mills Sea Salt Crackers or Mary’s Gone Crackers.
• Veggies: Boiled Artichoke Leaves, Sliced Cucumbers, Carrot Sticks, or Snap Peas

I’ve even added a scoop (or two!) on top of a roasted chicken or dipped my chicken fingers in it. Get creative with it! 😉

All About Artichokes

While this recipe is brimming with protein and healthy fats, the star of the show really is the artichokes. They’re packed full of incredible benefits which help improve the health of your skin.

To successfully get rid of acne long-term, you need to take an inside-out approach. For our clients in The Clear Skin Solution, we focus heavily on gut, liver and hormonal health to stop their chronic breakouts.

One component of this is consuming foods that love up those body systems – like artichokes.

Detoxify the digestive system

• Artichokes boost bile production (important for the excretion of waste/toxins, easing constipation and vital for the digestion of hormone-balancing fats&/ skin-clearing fat-soluble vitamins).
• Great source of fibre that helps to improve bowel movements (crucial for the elimination of toxins/excess hormones/waste products through the colon).
• Increases antioxidants in the liver including the “master” antioxidant glutathione (which helps detoxify fat from the liver to reduce gallbladder stress + detoxifies the toxic by-product of metabolism, methylglyoxal)

Stabilize blood sugar

• Another perk of high-fibre foods is helping to keep blood sugar levels balanced.
• Balanced blood sugar helps prevent spikes and dips of insulin (which is crucial for acne sufferers).

Great source of antioxidants

• Antioxidants fight acne-causing oxidative stress (that also promotes disease and aging).
• Contain the powerhouse flavonoid, silymarin (which supports liver regeneration and strengthens its cell walls).
• High source of vitamins A and C that help speed up the healing of wounds (like pimples), promote collagen production and support the immune system (which is important for warding off breakouts).

Note: while the artichoke hearts are nutrient-dense themselves, large amounts of these benefits are found in the leaves. I’ll be posting my family recipe for steamed artichokes soon! In the meantime, try your hand at boiling, steaming or roasting artichokes whole. You can use the leaves as a “dipper” for this Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip or try them with the honey dijon aioli mentioned above.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

The best dairy-free spinach artichoke you'll ever eat -- pinky promise. Bonus? It's 100% dairy-free (and you'd never know!).

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Author: Katie Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 large yellow onion (diced)
• 6 cups baby spinach (loosely packed)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 can artichoke hearts (398mL/14 oz., roughly chopped)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup mayo (see notes)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight / see notes)
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Warm avocado oil in a cast iron skillet* over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and saute until translucent (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add baby spinach and garlic. Cook until spinach is wilted. Add artichoke hearts and mix until well combined. Turn the heat off.
• In a blender or food processor, add the water, mayo, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and sea salt. Then add the cashews (helps to blend it easier).
• Slowly turn the blender on and increase speed until the mixture has a smooth flow.
• Add the spinach artichoke mixture to the blender/food processor and mix for 5 seconds – just long enough to break down the chunks of eggies but not long enough where it’s fully pureed in.
• Pour the mixture back into the cast iron skillet (or oven-safe baking dish) using a spatula to scrape down the sides.
• Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes – or until the top is starting to turn golden brown.
• Remove from oven and drizzle with olive oil.
• Serve immediately alongside your favourite veggies, chips or crackers for dipping.

Notes

• You can make this recipe a day or two before without baking it. When you’re ready to eat it, bake it in the oven as directed.
• I’ve used both Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo (contains eggs) and Earth’s Own Soy-Free Vegenaise (vegan) in this recipe. Both work great.
• If you don’t have time to soak the cashews overnight, place them in a bowl and cover them with boiling water for 15 minutes (while you prep the veggie mixture). Strain the water and use the cashews as directed above.