Dining In - Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip - Chloe's Kitchen

This dip used to be one of my favorite appetizers to order when dining out at restaurants. It's salty, creamy, indulgent, and always tasty. The major ingredients were certainly not vegan however, so it takes a good recipe to replicate it and still satisfy that craving. Chef Chloe Coscarelli to the rescue! Based on these ingredients, this appetizer is also gluten-free, if served with the appropriate chip or cracker.

I first made this for a company event and unfortunately I slightly overcooked it. It was still very yummy and my non-vegan coworkers enjoyed it. I made it a second time to bring to my family Christmas gathering this past year, where it would compete against cheese platters, pigs in a blanket and other heavy hors' dourves. Looks-wise, it's not the prettiest dish, as the green color browns slightly and there's no melted cheese strings to entice you. It has a kick to it, depending on how much red pepper you add. I didn't mind it, but my mom would have preferred it milder. It wouldn't be fair to taste this expecting it to match up to the same dip served at Applebee's or Chili's, but with an open mind and recognition that this is much healthier you can certainly enjoy it! You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here) and in this article on Yahoo. 



2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
5 oz. fresh baby spinach
14 oz. soft tofu, drained
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 oz. canned artichoke
Chips or crackers to serve with


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 1-quart baking dish. I used what I had on hand - a round cake pan. A glass loaf pan or a ceramic dish would work well, too. 

Begin the cooking process by heating the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Cook onions for about 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add in minced garlic and red pepper and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant. 

Reduce heat to low and add in spinach. Stir and cook until spinach is wilted.

In a food processor, combine tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, basil, sea salt and black pepper until blended and smooth. Add in artichokes and the spinach/onion/garlic mixture. Pulse about 10-15 times, enough to blend together while leaving some texture. 

Transfer to your baking dish. Cook for about 30 minutes or until it starts to brown on top. Serve warm with a "dipping vessel" like pita chips!

Spinach-Artichoke Dip Right Before Going in the Oven!