After all of the holiday hustle, we had an open can of artichoke hearts left over in the fridge. Spinach artichoke dip sounded awesome, but I didn’t have a go-to vegan recipe. We went poking around for other vegan recipes; all of the ones we saw called for tofu, so I thought I’d put together a soy-free version. I think the end product disappeared in less time than it took to prepare!

Prep time: 15-20 min

Bake time: 25-35 min

Yield: 8-12 servings

Ingredients:

One 8oz. bag of spinach

1 small onion, chopped

2 T. olive oil

½-1 t. sea salt

1 T. minced garlic (can be substituted with an additional ½ t. dried oregano in the cashew cream)

1 C. artichoke hearts, chopped

⅓ C. Vegenaise (other vegan mayos will work, but I think Vegenaise is the best flavor complement here)

⅓ C. Daiya mozzarella shreds

Cashew cream:

1 C. raw cashew pieces

2 T. olive oil

¼ C. vegetable stock

1 ½ T. nutritional yeast

½ t. dried basil

½ t. dried oregano

2 t. apple cider vinegar

Juice from ½ of a lemon (2-3 T.)

Salt and pepper to taste

-Preheat your oven to 400 F.

-Measure out the cashew pieces into a microwave-safe bowl and fill to cover with water. Microwave for 5 min. and then let sit while you prep the spinach.

-Wash and dry the spinach, discarding any wilted or slimy pieces.

-Place spinach in a large mixing bowl, add ½ t. sea salt and tear leaves with your hands. Add the other ½ t. as you tear if the leaves need more salt to wilt, or if you like a saltier dip.

-Strain the cashews and place in a hand mixer or food processor.

-Add the oil, stock, nutritional yeast, basil, oregano, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until very smooth and thick.

-Put a large skillet or pan on the stove on medium heat and add the olive oil.

-Chop the onion and add to the skillet with the minced garlic (optional). Cook, stirring regularly, until translucent and beginning to brown around the edges, 3-4 min.

-Pour off any water in your mixing bowl and then add wilted spinach to the skillet and mix. Stir regularly as the spinach cooks down, 5-7 min.

-Pour the spinach mixture back into your large mixing bowl, add the cashew cream, Vegenaise, artichokes and mozz shreds. Mix well and pour into one or more small baking dishes; we use a 5”x8” dish to get a nice crisp top with ~2” of dip beneath.

-Bake for 25-35 min. or until the top is started to turn golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let cool for 7-10 min before serving.