I’ve been making a dairy-based spinach yogurt dip for years – it’s chock full of fresh herbs and garlic, and always a hit – but I’m trying to limit my dairy intake these days so I’ve been working on a vegan version. I could have been lazy and simply swapped in a store-bought nondairy yogurt, but they vary in flavor, consistency, and availability by brand, so figured I might as well start from scratch to make sure you get the same results every time. My first thought was to use white beans as the base since they’re pretty much guaranteed to give you a creamy dip, but I wanted this recipe to be paleo-friendly, so beans were out. After that, my brain went to soaked cashews as a yogurt replacement since I already use them to make dairy-free cream. Nuts, however, are super calorie-dense (and expensive), and it would have required an awful lot of cashews to make the recipe. I’m always grateful for an excuse to sneak more vegetables into a dish, so I compromised and opted for steamed cauliflower as the base, adding a small quantity of soaked cashews for body. I tossed in some ripe avocado to make it ultra creamy, and seasoned it with lots of lemon juice, roasted garlic, and fresh herbs for a ton of flavor. Plus, of course, a healthy dose of blanched baby spinach, because it’s kinda hard to make spinach dip without spinach. I’m thrilled with how it turned out! This delicious Creamy Cauliflower Cashew Spinach Dip is satisfying and feels so indulgent, but it’s super healthful. It was a perfect St. Patrick’s Day snack yesterday with lots of crudités (hence the abundance of green in the photos). Feel free to serve crackers or chips in addition to the vegetables – there’s something incredibly satisfying about the contrast of a cool, creamy dip on a crunchy cracker.
This dip requires very little hands-on work, but you’re going to want to plan ahead – the cashews need to be soaked in order to break down and blend properly, and the dip should be chilled for at least 4 hours before serving. If possible I recommend making it a day ahead of time so the flavors have plenty of time to meld. If you can’t soak the cashews overnight, see the Note that follows the recipe for a quick-soaking option.
A few additional ingredient notes: First, yes, I really am asking you to use 8 cloves of garlic. They get roasted, which turns the flavor really mellow and sweet – I promise you won’t be breathing fire. Second, you may be tempted to roast the cauliflower instead of steaming it since the oven is already on for the garlic (and we all know how delicious roasted cauliflower is), but please resist the urge. It took me multiple trials to get the proportions right, and the recipe is written specifically for steamed cauliflower because it retains a certain amount of water; roasting will dry it out and throw off the texture. I promise the dip has plenty of flavor without roasting the cauliflower. Third, use any combination of tender herbs that works for you; I personally like equal parts Italian parsley, dill, and mint (so 2 Tbsp each), but it’s totally up to you. And finally, the half cup of water used to blend the dip is a suggestion – depending on the softness of the cashews, the power of your blender, and your preference for dip consistency, you may want to drizzle in a bit more as you blend.
That’s all you need to know, so I’m going to leave you to it. Happy dipping!
- 8 cloves garlic
- Water
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb cauliflower florets, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 8 oz tender baby spinach
- 98g (¾ cup) cashews, soaked* and drained (yield 170g/1 ¼ cups)
- 120ml (½ cup) filtered water (or more as needed)
- 90g (½ large) ripe avocado, cut into chunks
- 60ml (¼ cup) fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs of choice (parsley, dill, mint, basil)
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh chives
- Roast garlic: Preheat oven to 425F. Place garlic cloves in a clay baker or wrap in foil, and roast until soft and golden, about 30 minutes.
- While garlic is roasting, cook vegetables: Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches water. Set a steamer inside the pan and bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower to steamer basket, cover, and steam 5 minutes or until extremely tender (the tip of a knife should slide right through). Remove steamer basket and let cauliflower coo slightlyl.
- Discard steaming water and fill saucepan ⅔ of the way with fresh water. Salt generously and bring to a boil. While water is heating, fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. When water is simmering, submerge spinach and cook for about 15 seconds, just until it turns deep emerald green (if your pot is on the small side, do this in batches). Drain spinach and immediately transfer to ice water to cool completely. Once cooled, drain spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible. Roughly chop the spinach and set aside - you should have about ¾ cup spinach.
- Blend dip: Add steamed cauliflower, cashews, ½ cup water, avocado, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to a blender. Squeeze in roasted garlic cloves and discard skins. Cover blender with lid and puree until smooth. Add chopped spinach, parsley, dill and chives, and puree to desired smoothness. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if desired.
- Chill dip: Transfer to a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Serve: Garnish with remaining chives, and serve with crudités, crackers, or chips for dipping.
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