When following a plant-based diet, there are plenty of ways to turn classic staples into vegan-friendly dishes, and sometimes, they turn out tasting better than the original. One of those dishes is this vegan spinach artichoke dip that is honestly better than any I’ve ever had.
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You won’t lose any of the creamy texture or mouthwatering flavor in this recipe. Mayo, sour cream, and dairy cheese are swapped for vegan ingredients such as dairy-free cream cheese and mozzarella, vegetable broth, and a surprise ingredient that adds creaminess and substance — cannellini beans.
It’s Not Always Easy…
I have to admit, making vegan versions of traditional recipes is not always easy.
Take cashew cheese sauce for example. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get it to taste good. However, sometimes the vegan swaps are even better than the originals — just like this vegan spinach artichoke dip.
My first run-in with a vegan spinach and artichoke dip happened while visiting family for the holidays. In an effort to support my new-found plant-based diet, some family members courageously navigated the vegan world and tried their hand at making plant-based options for us throughout the holiday. One of the dishes I honestly couldn’t believe was vegan was an amazing spinach artichoke dip. It was sooooo creamy, tangy, and cheesy.
A few days later, as I was planning my New Years celebration, I knew exactly what I wanted to make — my own version of that sinful vegan spinach artichoke dip! It turned out AMAZING and I can honestly say, I’ll be making this for every holiday this year — and probably more often to snack on throughout the week.
If you plan on making this to take to a party, friends house, or anything in between, I highly recommend grabbing one of these handy insulated casserole carriers that’ll help keep your dip hot and safe while transporting. It also has a convenient zippered top section for utensils, crackers, or anything else you might need.
Why It’s Great
One of the best things about this recipe is that both vegans and non-vegans will enjoy it. There aren’t any crazy ingredients, no weird flavors, and it truly tastes just like conventional spinach artichoke dip — even better in my opinion.
One of the stars of this dip is the marinated artichoke hearts. They add such a yummy tang to the dip that you don’t always get in regular recipes.
It’s also pretty healthy compared to other spinach artichoke dips. In addition to the nutrition-packed spinach and artichokes, this version has mashed white beans for protein and fiber, cholesterol-free cheeses, and a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast for some added B vitamins.
My husband and I love artichokes so, when preparing the recipe, I left the quartered artichokes as-is and just broke them up a little during the cooking and mixing process. However, you can certainly choose to chop them up into smaller pieces if you prefer. We found that leaving them whole was just as easy to dip into.
You can serve this vegan spinach artichoke dip with a freshly sliced baguette, pita chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, crackers, veggies, or anything else you prefer.
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Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegan spinach artichoke dip
Ingredients:
- ½ cup sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegan cream cheese (I used kite hill)
- 7 ounces of shredded vegan mozzarella (I really like the Vitalite brand but Violife is great too)
- 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained well
- 12-ounce jar of quartered, marinated artichoke hearts, mostly drained (leave 4-5 tablespoons of the liquid in the bottom
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast*
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided
*If you don’t have nutritional yeast, you can substitute 1-2 tablespoons of flour to help thicken the dip
How To Make It:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Add the onion and garlic to a medium size pot and cook over medium heat until onios are translucent and the garlic is fragrant
- Add the beans, salt, pepper, thyme, dill and 1 cup of the vegetable broth, stir to combine
- Cover and simmer over medium heat until beans are soft – about 20 minutes (the broth should have mostly cooked down by then)
- Using a potato masher, mash the cooked bean mixture in the pot until there are no more whole beans, add the remaining ½ cup of vegetable broth and mix to make smooth and creamy
- Then, add the artichokes with a few tablespoons of their juices, canned tomatoes, and spinach to the pot and stir until combined
- Cover and simmer until the spinach is wilted (5-10 minutes), then remove the lid, add the nutritional yeast and stir until it’s all combined
- Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish and add the cream cheese and all but 1/2 cup of the shredded vegan mozzarella, mix well
- Scrape down the sides of the casserole dish, smooth the mixture around evenly, and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top
- Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until it’s bubbly and the cheese is melty on top
- Remove from the oven, and serve immediately or let it cool before storing in the fridge.
Calories for 1/8 of the batch (about 1/3 cup) : Approximately 227.6
And there you have it! A creamy, tangy, cheesy, gooey dip that’ll have you and your guests raving. And it’s vegan! Store it for up to 3 days in the fridge and warm before serving.
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