Amber takes comfort food to the next level with her new Homestyle Vegan cookbook! This cheesy vegan spinach artichoke dip recipe from the cookbook is easy, healthy, and filled with flavor and texture. It makes you want to devour the entire tray in one sitting!
Today I’m thrilled to be sharing a recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks, Homestyle Vegan, by Amber St. Peter from Fettle Vegan! I first met Amber at a SoCal food blogger meetup a few years ago and have since been following her. She is an amazing person with lots of positive energy, spunk, and creativity! If you don’t believe me, just check out the Instastories she posts on a daily basis. When I first heard that she was coming out with a cookbook, I knew I had to get my hands on it. It screams COMFORT FOOD, and really, who doesn’t like the idea of comfort food. Homestyle Vegan is filled with easy, everyday plant-based recipes. I’m excited to be sharing her recipe for Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip from the cookbook. I’m also GIVING AWAY a copy of the cookbook to one lucky reader, check for details after the recipe.
I love it when the title of a cookbook tells you exactly what type of recipes to expect inside. Homestyle Vegan covers it all with it’s unique chapter titles. From Rise + Shine (Apple Cider Donuts, Baked Breakfast Gratin, Old-Fashion Cinnamon Rolls), Meals That Stick To Your Ribs (Chick’un + Dumplings, Bacon-less Baked Beans, Apple Fennel Stuffing with Caramelized Onions, Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup), Feed Your Friends (Quinoa Meatball Sub, Southern Comfort Bowl, Lobster Mushroom Bisque, Cauliflower Steaks), Crowd Pleasers (Jalapeno Cornbread, Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza, Southern Fried Zucchini Fritters), Cook Up Some Comfort Food (Baked Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese, biscuits with Mushroom Gravy, Creamy Corn Chowder), Bake Sale-Worthy Baked Goods (Oatmeal Cream Pies, Double Fudge Mint Brownies), to When Cookies Won’t Cut It (Strawberry Basil Hand Pies, Lavender Shortcakes) and Have A Drink (Holiday Nog, Rosemary Coconut Hot Chocolate). She even finishes with a Stock Your Pantry section full of everyday basics such as the perfect Pizza Dough, or Easy Cashew Cheese.
Amber has successfully taken the traditional foods from the standard American diet and made it plant-based and easier than ever to make. As you scroll through the recipes, you can also tell that she’s tried to keep the ingredients in her recipes simple and attainable from local grocery stores. Also, if you’re thinking that her recipes will be full of faux meat because of the cuisine, you can guess again. None of her recipes contain tofu or faux meat, which I think is awesome since I’ve never particularly cared for any of the available fake meat products. There are also soy-free and gluten-free options for most of the recipes.
Choosing what to try first from a cookbook full of mouthwatering recipes is hard, but then I saw this Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip. It’s one of my husband’s favorite appetizers, and I had yet to make a plant-based version of it at home. I also loved Amber’s version of the recipe because it was packed with healthy ingredients. Her clever sauce is made with white beans, fresh spinach, breadcrumbs, and her Easy Cashew Cheese (which I literally couldn’t stop eating)!
This dish came together very quickly and left me with a gorgeous hot appetizer (or even main dish since we couldn’t stop eating it). My husband loved all the different textures and flavors. I ended up adding the spice at the end so my kids could try it, and they ate it up by the spoonful with a side of chips. It’s definitely going to become a regular dish in our house.
Homestyle Vegan takes comfort food to a new level, and I can’t wait to continue my way through it! Next on my list to try is the Green Bean Casserole with Crunchy Onions, Quinoa Meatball Sub, Cauliflower Rice Risotto, and French Onion Soup! You can purchase your copy of Homestyle Vegan here. Until then, try out this cheesy vegan spinach artichoke dip recipe from Amber’s cookbook!
Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup cooked white beans , heaping cup
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp fresh basil , chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red crushed pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 large yellow onion , chopped
- 14 oz can artichoke hearts , drained and chopped
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- ¼ cup Easy Cashew Cheese (see below for ingredients)
- 1 cup bread crumbs
For the Easy Cashew Cheese:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 – 4 tbsp water
INSTRUCTIONS
To Make the Easy Cashew Cheese:
- Pour the raw cashews into a small bowl and add enough hot water to just cover the nuts. Soak for 30 minutes or more.
- Drain the water and place the soaked cashews into a food processor or high-speed blender.
- Add the lemon juice, garlic clove, salt and pepper and begin to process them together.
- Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
To Make the Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC).
- In a food processor, combine the white beans, nutritional yeast, water, fresh basil, salt and crushed red pepper until smooth. Scoop the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
- In a medium cast-iron pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onions together for 3 to 5 minutes, until softened.
- Pour in the chopped artichokes and stir to combine.
- Pour in the spinach, about a cup at a time, stirring to wilt.
- When the spinach has wilted, shut off the heat and pour in the white bean mixture, vegan cheese and about three-fourths of the bread crumbs. Stir to combine completely.
- Pour the remaining bread crumbs over the top of the mixture, then cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and hot.
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve with bread, chips or sliced vegetables!
Mandy
I LOVE spinach + artichoke dips and this one looks amazing! So comforting and pretty high on the creaminess factor by reading the ingredient list…YUM!! And how awesome that your kiddos enjoyed it, too! Goodness, another cookbook to add to my list!
anjali
Yes…so creamy, and I love that she used white beans for the health factor! And her cashew cheese is to-die-for! Definitely another cookbook to have on hand. Thanks Mandy!
DJ
I always love vegan broccoli casserole.
anjali
Anything with broccoli and casserole in it sounds delicious!
Reshana
This dip looks amazing!
Wow i cant believe how all those meals / snacks / drinks listed can be vegan! Very impressive.
This give away wont apply to us 🙁
anjali
I know right?!? She really made all the classic american comfort foods vegan and healthy! I love her recipes…thanks! And I know…bummer they don’t apply to you =( i’ll find one soon that does!
Rashmi
The title of this recipe just sold me, anything with cheese in it has my full attention, looks incredible and her book sounds awesome, very sad that I cant enter though 🙁
anjali
I know 🙁 you guys are my biggest fans and it’s a bummer you can’t enter the giveaways…but hopefully I’ll try to find a few international ones! This dish is so good!
Christine Lee
Ugh, this looks amazing! I love a good spinach-artichoke dip. This would be perfect for superbowl weekend.
To answer your question, a comfort food for me is a big bowl of Korean pumpkin porridge with rice dumplings. It’s this amazing soup that is creamy, wholesome, and tastes very grounding.
anjali
Ooo…love your comfort food! I’ve never had anything like it!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
What a great artichoke dip! Always a favorite here!
Ali from Home & Plate
This is one of my favorite kinds of dips. And perfect for game day. I love a cookbook that have a little bit of everything and this one looks like one I could put my nose it. I must check it out soon.
anjali
Me too! Love it…she’s really taken the American diet to a new level with all her vegan healthier versions.
Luci's Morsels
What a fun cookbook and I love that it doesn’t have faux-meat in every recipe.And what cute section titles!
anjali
Right?? Me too…she’s super creative with her recipes and finding alternate ways to keep the flavor and texture going!
Diana
Nothing beats a cheesy artichoke dip! I’m actually going to have this tomorrow in a southern restaurant yum!
anjali
This version is SO delicious! You’ll have to compare it to your restaurant version.
jacquie
nut butter on whole grain toast
anjali
That is definitely comfort food at its easiest…especially for breakfast!
Emily
This looks like a delicious recipe! I have vegan family members so this will come in handy for sure!
anjali
Thanks Emily!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
I have this cookbook, but I haven’t tried this recipe yet. I’m putting it on my list!
anjali
Definitely do…it’s delicious!
Gin
This sounds so savory and cheesy and delish! Proof (if anyone needs some) that vegan food is a lot more than Buddha bowls and energy bites. Not that Buddha bowls and energy bites don’t rock, but there’s a lot going on in vegan cuisine.
anjali
Yes exactly!! And i love the fact that she doesn’t use faux meat in her dishes either!
Richelle
My favorite vegan comfort food is chickpea pot pie!!
anjali
I’ve never had a pot pie before…need to though!
Devi
Do potato chips and spicy chakli count, lol?! This dip looks delicious!
anjali
Oh totally! Haha…my comfort food is POPCORN haha!
Nicole Dawson
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m always looking for new cookbooks to check out and this sounds like one I’ll really want to look for.
anjali
This cookbook is awesome! Full of favorites and very easy to follow!
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite
Oh we eat dips as dinner over here a lot. I love appetizer dinners! Amber is such a sweetie and I love her book! Looks amazing.
Linda @ Veganosity
This looks so good. Great book review!
anjali
Thanks Linda!
anjali
Thanks Linda!! Love her new book!
Uma
Love this dip. Looks delicious and good vegan book! Now I am looking in to this:)
anjali
Definitely should! Awesome book!
Anjali
Congrats to Devi for winning this giveaway! Thanks to everyone who participated!
PD
Love this dip. Easy to make.