Hot Spinach, Artichoke, and White Bean Dip
Try this Hot Spinach, Artichoke, and White Bean Dip recipe.
Try this Hot Spinach, Artichoke, and White Bean Dip recipe.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked overnight or in boiling water for 1 hour*
- 3/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk divided
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans drained if using canned
- 4 packed cups chopped baby spinach
- 1 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts drained well** and chopped
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (depending on spice preference)
- generous pinch of pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice to taste
- Carbohydrate 6.29259489610989 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 8.79257750036184 g
- Fiber 0.590354165343658 g
- Protein 2.73721645834551 g
- Saturated Fat 1.68630875004996 g
- Serving Size 1 1 cup (21g)
- Sodium 3.06301041670595 mg
- Sugar 5.70224073076623 g
- Trans Fat 0.375460375009798 g
- Calories 109 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare cashew cream by placing drained cashews, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of almond milk and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a high speed blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides every so often and adding an additional tablespoon of almond milk if needed. You want the consistency to be spreadable but not runny. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add white beans, and ¼ cup almond milk to the blender with the cashew cream and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onion, garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring so garlic doesn’t burn.
- Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add chopped artichokes, chili flakes, basil, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon of lemon juice and white bean and cashew mixture to the pan. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a glass baking dish and cover (with oven safe lid or tin foil) and bake for 20 minutes or until hot.
- If you make this ahead of time, keep it covered in the fridge over night with plastic wrap, then remove plastic, cover with tin foil and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until hot.
- Serve while hot with toasted pita bread or baguette slices, tortilla chips, or crackers.
Thermal blending transforms soaked raw cashews and cooked white beans into a dairy-free emulsion by shearing plant lipids and starches into a continuous matrix that mimics heavy cream. Garlic and onions undergo non-enzymatic browning when sautéed over medium heat for five minutes, releasing volatile sulfur compounds that build a savory foundation before baking at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Soak raw cashews in boiling water for one hour to soften dense cell walls, ensuring a completely smooth texture in the high-speed blender without gritty particles.
- Drain canned artichoke hearts thoroughly and chop them into uniform pieces so excess brine does not dilute the cashew and white bean emulsion.
- Bake the assembled mixture covered with tin foil for 20 minutes to heat the interior evenly without burning the delicate baby spinach leaves on top.
- Refrigerate unbaked leftovers overnight wrapped tightly in plastic, then extend the baking time by ten minutes to compensate for the chilled core.
Plant-based modifications replace traditional dairy fats while preserving rich mouthfeel through legume starches and nut fats. Adjusting the chili flakes and lemon juice just before baking balances the inherent earthiness of the beans and nutritional yeast.
