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This dip was inspired by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken’s Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and MAN is it good! I The best part – your omni friends won’t even have a clue it’s vegan! When they find out, just tell them that all their favorite football players are vegan now too, and maybe they should give veganism a try.
The main ingredient for this recipe is the Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella, also developed by Sam at It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. I won’t be sharing that recipe here on my blog, so if you want to make this dip, head over to Sam’s blog first and make a double-batch of Sam’s Mozzarella. And while you’re there, take a look around and say hello, eh? You’ll be glad you did! She has a great blog.
For my recipe, I riffed a bit on the Sam’s Spinach & Artichoke Dip recipe. Instead of frozen spinach, I decided to see if fresh kale would taste good in the dip (spoiler alert – it does!). You can feel free to stick to spinach, but I recommend using fresh over frozen, unless you’re really in a hurry. I also added little bit of kick to this dip. In Sam’s recipe she used marinated artichokes, which are a somewhat tart and spicy. I usually buy the kind that are canned in water because I try to minimize the oil in my diet. To simulate some of the flavor of that marinade, I added some chili flakes, a little cayenne, and a dash of vinegar. Finally, I wanted some crunch. Back in my debauched days of devouring dairy, my favorite restaurant spin-dips always contained some chopped water chestnuts.
With these tweaks, this dip is so quick and easy that it has become a staple in my kitchen. I make a batch of this about once a week (and Mr T. and I always CRUSH it!). I make it now for any potluck-style party I attend, or whenever I have guests over an need an hors d’oeuvre. You can pair this with bread, tortilla chips, veggies, or anything capable of being dipped. Sometimes I’ll even layer a couple of spoonfuls of this dip between squares of frozen puffed pastry and make little finger pastries for a fancier party. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets are accidentally vegan and they taste excellent.
If you’re planning to watch the game this weekend, do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of this veganized deliciousness! I guarantee it tastes JUST as good as the original without all the saturated fat and cruelty. Your tastebuds, your conscience, and your cardiovascular system will thank you!
For easy access, here is a handy link to Sam’s Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella.
Vegan Kale & Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 2 batches of Sam’s Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella link above
- 1 can 15 oz or more of artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 1 can 8 oz of water chestnuts, chopped
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 bunch of kale rinsed, de-stemmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or sherry
- Dash of cayanne
Instructions
- Prehead the oven to 400 degrees.
- Make the Mozzarella and set aside.
- Sautee the onions and garlic for about 1-3 minutes, then add the kale. Sauteé for about a minute, then cover the pan until the kale wilts, about 3 minutes.
- Add the non-dairy milk, salt pepper, chili flakes, cayanne, garlic, artichoke hearts, and water chestnuts to the kale and combine.
- Finally, stir in the “cheese.” If you wilted the spinach in a cast-iron skillet, you can mix it right in the skillet, then pop it in the oven. Or you can transfer the ingredients to an oven-safe baking dish. It’s ok if the mixture is a bit clumpy at first and doesn’t combine well.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, stopping halfway to stir. Add more non-dairy milk if the mixture is too thick.
- (optional step) Switch your oven from Bake to Broil, and bown the top of the dip on high for 1-3 minutes. Check frequently to prevent the dip from burning.
- Serve hot with veggies, chips or bread for dipping. Enjoy!
Wow! This is delicious!