Artichoke Dip everyone will love

It’s always exciting to try a new recipe and find that it’s sooooo easy and sooooo delicious. Not only is it a keeper, but also it’s one you want to share. The following vegan artichoke dip is based on a recipe from The Kind Diet. We served it to a non-veg crowd last night and it got a unanimous thumbs-up.  And Galileo, our canine kitchen assistant and lover of all good food, came back for seconds… and thirds.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of artichoke hearts (packed in water)
• 1 cup “Parmesan cheese”
• 1 cup Vegenaise
• 2 cloves garlic
• paprika

The original recipe uses soy-cheese by Galaxy Foods, but I prefer the Grated Vegan Topping made by the same company. Also, in the original recipe, one clove of garlic is listed as optional; true to my Italian roots, I doubled up the dose. If you’re not familiar with Vegenaise, it’s an egg-free mayonnaise brand that really is head and shoulders above the rest. Texture and taste – you can’t beat it, especially in a recipe like this one.

Drain the two cans of artichoke hearts and mash them up using a wooden spoon in a mixing bowl. Add the Veganaise and slowly add the “Parmesan” while you continue to mix and mash.  Once you have the ingredients mashed up, spoon into a baking dish and cook uncovered on the middle rack for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. The top will get slightly golden brown. As soon as you take it out of the oven, sprinkle with some paprika and let it cool for just a few minutes before serving.

We served the dip with plain brown-rice cracker rounds – something light, crisp, and without any competing spices. Whether you serve the dip with crackers, crostini, or – as the original recipes suggests – some endive leaves, this dish is DE-LISH.

Related posts: