Artichoke Dip

Don't let the name fool you.. it is MUCH more than an artichoke dip... haha. I just wasn't quite sure what to call it since there are so many elements to it. This is a great alternative to the traditional spinach and artichoke dip, and it is far more healthy! It would be great served with chips, bread, pita, whatever you have! Unfortunately I didn't plan ahead, and I have none of those, so I have nothing to eat it with! haha. A trip to the store is in order!

Before baking 

For this recipe you will need cooked white navy beans (soaked and cooked, or canned), and soaked raw cashews (soak for a couple hours at least in warm water). So make sure you have that ready before you start.

You will need:

1.5 cups cooked white navy beans

1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked (measured before soaking)

1/2 cup Sour Supreme (vegan sour cream)

1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1.5 tsp Italian seasoning (mine has salt in it)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

3 cups of baby greens (once cooked it is about 1 cup) (I used Earthbound Organic Power Greens, but just spinach will do too)

3/4 cups sliced black olives

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped (I used the kind packed in oil)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp salt

oil and salt for sauteing 

Optional ingredients:

1 cup vegan cheese, shredded

Jalapeno slices, chopped up OR 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

In a frying pan on medium heat, add about 2 tsp oil and saute onions until golden. Add in garlic and cook a couple of minutes more. Add in the greens and cook until just wilted. Add a couple pinches of salt while cooking just to season it a bit. Set aside.

In a food processor, add the navy beans, soaked cashews, sour cream, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt (and cayenne is using). Turn on high, and puree until smooth. This might take a few minutes.

To the food processor mixture, add in the chopped artichokes, the onion/garlic/greens mixture, sun dried tomatoes, and black olives (and jalapenos if using). Pulse a couple of times, just to incorporate and chop slightly. Don't pulse too many times, or else you will have a completely smooth mixture. You want it to still have small chunks of everything visible. If you are using shredded vegan cheese, mix it in by hand. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. If you aren't adding the "cheese" you can serve without baking, but I like mine a little warm. Serve with your favorite dippables! :)