Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Published by

Jasmine

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This is one of the easiest, tastiest dips you can make which doesn’t require a food processor. It’s such a crowd-pleaser, so ahead of festive season, this is my take on a spinach and artichoke dip…


INGREDIENTS

Cheese:

Cheddar (this is a great mix of a flavouring and melting cheese)

Italian hard cheese (Pecorino works really well or an animal rennet free alternative – this will add a depth of flavour)

Gruyère (or an animal rennet free semi-hard alternative – this is for that melting deliciousness)

Cream cheese (I personally use Boursin with garlic and herb – if you can’t access this just add an extra clove of garlic and 1/4 of a tsp of both dried basil and oregano)

Filling:

Baby spinach

Artichokes (I like to use ones that are jarred in olive oil for an extra bit of tanginess)

Extra flavour:

Garlic (I like to roast this to take the edge off)

Lemon juice and zest (ensure you use unwaxed lemons – this freshness will cut through the rich cheese really nicely)

TIPS

There’s not really a lot to this; just throw it all together in a little oven-proof dish, mush it down and stick it in the oven! Initially you want to bake this on a medium heat, then finish it off by crisping it under the grill for a few minutes afterwards. You can use half a lemon if you prefer less tang.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

  • Servings: 3-4 as a dip / snack, served as a side
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Dips and party food

Small oven-proof dish required, no advance prep needed

Ingredients

  • 50g of baby spinach
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil (plus extra for cooking)
  • Juice and rind of 1 (or 1/2) an unwaxed lemon
  • 5 artichoke heart quarters (cut into small chunks)
  • 75g of garlic and herb cream cheese
  • 25g of grated Gruyère / semi-hard cheese (grated)
  • 25g of cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 15g of Pecorino / Italian hard cheese (finely grated)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 160C and boil a kettle
  2. Chop the ends off the garlic, put on a small piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper – fold the garlic in the foil and oven bake for 15-20 minutes
  3. Prepare 2 bowls of water: one with the boiling water and another with ice or very cold water
  4. Using cooking tongs, dunk the spinach in the boiling water and swirl it around for a couple of minutes until wilted and dunk it into the cold water to stop the cooking process
  5. Swirl the spinach in the cold water for a few seconds before removing and wringing out excess water by hand or using a piece of cheese cloth, then roughly chop it
  6. Combine the lemon juice and cream cheese in a bowl, using a fork to mash them together and zest over the lemon rind
  7. Once the garlic is roasted, pop the cloves out of their skins and add them to the mixture, using the fork to mash it in
  8. Add the chopped spinach, olive oil, three cheeses, season and mix together
  9. Add the entire mixture to your oven proof dish and bake for 15-20 minutes (at an increased temperature of 180C) before switching to your oven’s grill setting on medium to crisp the topping for a further 10 minutes


Let me know if you try this foolproof dip during holiday season!

Here’s my method:

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