I'd be a liar and you'd never believe a thing I said if I told you that this vegan spinach dip tastes exactly like the full fat, full cheese, full mayo version. But I'd be an equally big fibber if I neglected to convey just how ridiculously good this spinach dip is.
To help you get the picture, let me start by sharing my mental dialog as I devour a normal batch of spinach dip at a party:
Bite 1: "OMG!!! This is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!"
Bites 2-5: "Ohhh... I reaalllly shouldn't... but I can't help myself"
Bites 6-10: "Now I'm thirsty, let me wash it down with a giant red Solo cup of soda."
Bites 11-∞:"It's gone and I ate most of it... What have I done... How could I have been so weeeak..."
Perhaps you can relate? Well, here's the internal dialog I had with myself as I scarfed down this vegan spinach dip:
Bite 1: "hmm... not quite the same...."
Bite 2-5: " But... this is pretty damn good!"
Bites 6-10: "Wow! I can't {MUNCH}... stop...{DIP}...eating... {CHOMP}... it"
Bites 11-∞: " It's gone... but I just ate 189% of my daily Vitamin A, 94% of my Iron, 82% of my Calcium, 72% of my magnesium, 57% of my protein, 56% of my vitamin C, 50% of my fiber for the day..."
And while I can't promise you won't feel any guilt at all (especially if you hijack that part of the buffet and slap away hungry hands trying to get a taste), but I can tell you that you won't have to go to confession at your cardiologist's office.
So what makes it so good? Well, first I use a combination of soft tofu with raw cashew nuts. The soft tofu brings a satiny smooth texture and creaminess like mayonnaise. The cashews mellow out the "soy" taste of the tofu while adding richness and just a hint of sweetness.
To get the cheese flavor, I add nutritional yeast. It may sound like a weird addition if you've never had it, but one taste and I promise even hardened carnivores will want some to sprinkle on their next steak. It's made by culturing a strain of yeast, which is harvested and sterilized before it's dried and packaged. The resulting yellow flakes have a cheesy, nutty flavor, that's bursting with umami producing amino acids.
Because real cheese undergoes lacto-fermentation it's always a little acidic. This is what gives cheddar it's "sharp" taste. To mimic this, I add a little apple cider vinegar. It not only makes it taste more like cheese, the hint of acidity helps lighten up the creaminess of the spinach dip ever so slightly.
Together with fresh spinach, crispy water chestnuts and a little smoked paprika and you have yourself a luxuriously creamy, spinach dip with all the right textures and flavors, keeping you reaching back for more.... until it's gone.
Other Cream Vegan Recipes
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 400 grams soft tofu
- 100 grams raw cashew nuts (¾ cup soaked in water overnight and drained)
- 25 grams nutritional yeast (~¼ cup)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 grams salt (~½ teaspoon)
- 260 grams spinach (175 grams cooked and squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 175 grams onion (1 medium )
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 100 grams water chestnuts (diced)
- extra virgin olive oil
- paprika
Instructions
- Add the tofu, soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, vinegar, and salt to the bowl of a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix) and blend until it forms a smooth puree. If the blender won't spin, try adding a little water (or coconut milk) at a time and use the tamper to help it along. The mixture should have the consistency of pudding.
- Chop the roots off the spinach and put it into a large bowl. Wash the spinach under running water while agitating it with your fingers until the water is no longer muddy. Then, stop the water and give any remaining grit a chance to settle to the bottom of the water.
- Lift the floating spinach off the top of the water, leaving any remaining sand at the bottom of the bowl.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the spinach. Boil until the spinach is tender. 1-2 minutes.
- Drain the spinach, rinse with cold water and then squeeze the excess water out of the spinach.
- Chop the spinach into small pieces.
- Add the oil, onions and garlic to a frying pan and sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are a caramel brown color and have reduced to about ¼ of their original volume.
- Add the water chestnuts and spinach and, sauté to heat through.
- Turn down the heat and add the tofu and cashew puree. Stir constantly until the spinach dip is heated through. Adjust salt to taste.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil and then dust with paprika. Serve with vegetables and bread.
Nadine says
SO good! Loving all the tips in the comments. Thanks for this recipe Marc.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Nadine😀
Michelle says
Amazing. My boyfriend and I loved this recipe !
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know!
Ana says
I've never tried the original style of spinach dip, so I have nothing to compare it too, but this is divine!
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for dropping by to let me know!
Beth says
This recipe kicks ass! We make it with chopped, frozen spinach (thawed) instead of fresh because it's just faster. And for the cashews, what I like to do is grind them in a coffee grinder (that I reserve only for flax seed and cashew grinding) and it goes in very fast and easy (no soaking!). I use an immersible blender (hand blender) and that way it never gets stuck, and I don't have to add any liquids. We also add chopped artichoke hearts (from a can, in water, no oil). We use it as a dip, or to make stuffed shells covered in tomato sauce, and even as a filler in lasagna! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this dip. It's AMAZING!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Beth I'm so glad to hear you've been enjoying this, and thanks so much for all the great suggestions! I'd never really thought of using this as a filling, but it totally makes sense. Have you tried my onion dip? https://norecipes.com/vegan-french-onion-dip/
Beth says
The onion dip looks amazing. We'll definitely be trying it next. Thank you! I forgot to add that we've been sprinkling smoked paprika on the Spinach dip. It really adds a great flavor when it's smoked .. just when I thought this dish couldn't get any better!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Beth! Such a great idea to use smoked paprika, I bet it adds a nice meaty depth to the dip.
Beth says
We absolutely LOVE this dip. We've made it as a dip, and also to stuff pasta shells (and then cover with tomato sauce). We add sliced artichoke hearts, and we use chopped frozen spinach instead of fresh for convenience (thawed and I squeeze out as much water as I can). We've had non-vegan guests ask for the recipe. It's AWESOME!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Beth, I'm glad to hear you've been enjoying this, thanks so much for letting me know! I love your idea of stuffing it into pasta, I'm going to have to try that next time!
Melissa Frye says
I've made this several times and it is GREAT!! I've made it with frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) and its just as good. As for substitutes for soy and nutritional yeast, I'd say find some other spinach dip recipe? This is just perfect for my dietary peculiarities!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Melissa, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Dorothy Gallardo says
Would it be ok to bake inside 1 tube of refrigerated pizza crust
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Dorothy, thanks a super interesting idea. I'd never really thought about it, but I guess it would end up kind of like a Calzone. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!
Tanvi says
What is the use of nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar in this recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Tanvi, nutritional yeast has a taste similar to cheese and it contains loads of amino acids that give the dip an umami-rich taste. Cheese on the other hand is naturally acidic (that's what gives cheddar it's sharp taste), the cider vinegar mimics the tartness of cheese. I hope that helps.
Terry J says
Do you have to use Tofu? Any substitutes?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Terry, it's a core part of this recipe which lends creaminess and umami to the dish. You could create a new recipe using other ingredients, but I don't know of a 1:1 substitute.
Linda says
This needed some work. More nutritional yeast, some of Myoko's farmhouse cheese, some lemon juice, chipotle and berbere spice. Really need more flavor.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mary, I haven't tried to completely cool and reheat this so I'm not 100% sure, but I think someone left a comment once that they did this and it turned out okay.
Mary says
Hi Marc, I am really looking forward to making this recipe! Can I make this a day ahead of time and then reheat it in the microwave?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Yasmeen, thanks for the note. You could probably do this with soaked and pureed raw cashews.
Yasmeen Wilcox says
This looks amazing! My only question is, my sister does not eat soy, is there anything I could possibly substitute the tofu with?
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Emma!
Emma says
It turned out amazing, Marc! I ended up using white beans instead of tofu and adding lemon juice and artichoke hearts. It freezes beautifully and was a huge hit. Thank you so much for the recipe and answering all my questions, I can't wait to browse more around your blog.
Emma says
Thanks Marc! I might try substituting garbanzo beans and coconut milk, as suggested by a few folks in the comment thread, to help with the freezing issue. I need to be able to make stuff today to be thawed and reheated over the weekend for my birthday camping trip. I'll be sure to use the stove to reheat it, and let you know how it goes. I'm so excited to try this recipe!
Marc Matsumoto says
Good luck Emma, and Happy Birthday!
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Emma says
Do you think I could freeze this, then thaw and reheat in a cast iron over a fire? Looking for ideas for a camping trip!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Emma, there's a couple areas that would worry me. Tofu tends to separate when you freeze it, so the defrosted dip may end up "spongy" with pockets of water where the ice defrosts. Also I would not recommend reheating it over a campfire because the bottom will likely burn before the top was fully reheated.
Emma says
Do you think I could freeze this and reheat it in a cast iron? I'm on the hunt for camping ideas!
Emma says
Do you think I could freeze this, then thaw and reheat in a cast iron over a fire? Looking for ideas for a camping trip!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Peg, are you using the print button at the top right corner of the recipe? This should give you a printable version of the recipe. If so, can you please send me a more detailed account of what's happening as well as the web browser name and version so I can report it as a bug?
Peg Gardner says
How come your recipes will not print out?.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ina, cups are a volumetric unit (i.e. for liquids only), and grams/ounces/pounds/etc are a unit of mass (for everything that's not a liquid). You cannot accurately measure things like tofu and spinach in cups because they can't be poured into a measuring cup (there is air between the pieces of food). I know a lot of recipes in the US use cups for everything, but this is a sure way to have recipes go wrong because the amount of the ingredient you add will vary from time to time and from person to person. Please go and buy a cheap digital scale (they only cost about $10).
Ina says
What's the grams to cups comparison for tofu and spinach?
Karl Keene says
A bit of white miso would impart a good flavor, or instead of apple cider vinegar, use the same amount of sauerkraut juice. It has lactic acid, which gives that twang of being cultured. My wife makes vegan cheese, and these are two ingredients she uses for culturing.
Kayla says
I made this last night. It was fantastic! I used a carton of firm silken tofu, doubled the fresh garlic, sauteed the veggies in a touch of water instead of oil, added 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, used about 1 tsp salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste, added around 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice, and I used a bag of frozen spinach which was around 230 grams after defrosting and squeezing the liquid out.
My husband and I loved this recipe. Next time we will leave out the water chestnuts since we don't really care for the crunch factor. I made some homemade baguettes, steamed carrots and broccoli, and had some fresh honeydew melon for dessert. It was a tasty and light meal 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe inspiration!
Kayla says
Does this recipe use refrigerated Tofu in water or the shelf-stable silken-tofu?
erica says
This was delicious! My boyfriend and I aren't vegan, so we added a cup of sharp cheddar as well as tabasco. We also served it with garlic naan, which added some nice flavour.
Debbie says
Thank you so much chef!! =) I will definitely try it! Everything that you made just look amazingly yummy!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Debbie! I have both Bob's Red Mill and Braggs in my pantry, don't really have a preference between the two.
Debbie says
It looks amazing! Which brand of nutritional yeast do you use?
lumi lammas says
This is amazingly delicious! I added a can of artichoke hearts, and left out the garlic as it upsets my stomach. I made it the night before a party, and it was all I could do not to just eat it all up myself.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Brigette, they're there mostly for texture so any think crunchy/crispy will work like lotus root, jicama, or celery.
Brigette Liberty says
Anything to sub the water chestnuts, Marc?
Really keen on trying this - looks cray-mazing!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Wen, if you're not vegan, why not make my regular spinach dip: https://norecipes.com/tofu-spinach-artichoke-dip/
Wen says
If I am not vegan, what's a good cheese to use as a substitute for the yeast?
Sarah says
Thanks for the reply! That makes sense! I'll just wait until i get to the store to get the nutritional yeast 🙂
sara says
White beans are what I use.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sarah, the purpose of the nutritional yeast is to give the dip a cheese flavor. Flax does not taste like cheese. I can't think of a vegan product that comes as close to tasting like cheese as nutritional yeast, but if you know of something I'd love to hear about it.
Sarah says
Hi- what if i don't have nutritional yeast? Could Flax be substituted or something else? If so, same quantity?
thanks~
Crystal says
Okay, thanks for replying!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Marilyn, you could in theory make this with mostly cashew nuts, but it's going to be extremely rich. You could increase the amount of spinach to offset some of this ,but it may not be quite as dippable.
Marilyn says
My Dr has me off of soy, any substitutes?
Lisa says
I just don’t like soy so I’m planning to use 200 grams of cashews and 300 grams of chick peas or white beans. I was also thinking of trying cauliflower as a sub for the tofu. Hope this helps!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Crystal, I'm going to assume you're allergic to all tree-nuts? If so, you could substitute extra tofu for the cashews and increase the amount of nutritional yeast. It's not going to be quite as rich or creamy but should be pretty good none-the-less.
Crystal says
I'm allergic to cashews is there an alternative?
Henry says
Sunflower seeds! Soak and use exactly the sane way you would cashews
Darla DaSilva says
I've been on Pinterest for a while and I think you may be borderline genius
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sarah, glad to hear you enjoyed and great idea on the chipotle powder and lemon!
Sarah says
I made this a couple weeks ago and it was a hit so I'm making it for a Super Bowl party tonight. I also added lemon and more paprika and a little chipotle powder. I just used baby spinach and did not pre-cook it at all. Worked out great! Can't wait to have this again tonight! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Morgan, to be honest I don't know what will happen. It seems like a good idea in theory but there is definitely a possibility it will set. If you end up trying it let us know how it goes.
Morgan says
I was thinking on making this for Super Bowl. Could I cook in an electric fondue pot so I can transport it warm to a party? Or if it sits in a warmer will it solidify? Thank you -Morgan
Jaye @willandjaye says
I did. He's actually asked me to make it at least twice now!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hahaha, glad to hear you enjoyed. Did you eventually tell him what he was eating?
Jaye @willandjaye says
I just made a small batch of this dip to give it a shot. It was delicious and my husband didn't even realize it was vegan. Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Daisy, it's funny you mention baking this because I actually originally planned to bake it, but baking it solidifies the tofu so it ends up being like a quiche or frittata (still delicious, but not really a dip). Doing it on the stove allows you to heat it up without rendering it undipable.
Daisy says
Anyone try baking this after mixing it all together? Love to use one of my pretty "hot dip" dishes. If so how did it work out and what was the temp/time?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Laura, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this, love your additions and great call on the artichoke. I actually wanted to include artichoke, but they are very hard to find here in Japan and cost a fortune (like $15 for a small jar) which is why I skipped them.
Laura says
This was wonderful! I could not believe how easy it was. I would love to add artichoke to this, since my family is used to spinach artichoke dip. I did add some things.
I added water to help thin it out a bit since it was very thick. I also added these flavor enhancers: extra paprika, extra garlic, lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon, a dash or so of cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.
Clive Brown says
I am going to try the nutmeg. Good idea
Kirah Shaw says
Made this and though it was gross.... or atleast not a good as i excepted. Debating on serving this to my non vegan guests. don't want to shy them away from veganism with this dish...
claudia says
mmmmm...... absolutly easy and ..DELICIOUS! Thank you!
A says
Try cauliflower purée!
SeaBean30 says
Loved the inspiration this recipe gave me... I didn't have tofu so I used garbanzo beans instead of the tofu... and it is delicious!! I can only imagine what it would taste like if it was with the silken tofu instead but grateful for the garbanzo substitute!
Thanks Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Monica, tried this with a different type of tofu (the boxed kind as opposed to flat plastic cartons) yesterday and the blender wouldn't spin without more liquid. Good call on the coconut milk. I also added garlic to my batch yesterday and it was kind of awesome, so I'm updating the recipe.
Monica says
Made this, here are my thoughts:
I had to add coconut milk to make it creamier.
Needed some salt for sure.
Next time I would add garlic.
The smoked paprika totally made the dish!
Overall it's pretty darn good. I recommend the roasted garlic triscuts for dipping.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Marie, nope, it's not necessary and is more for presentation. That said, please be sure to use a heavy bottomed pan as you want the pan to heat evenly so it does not burn.
Ashley says
Would a glass dish work or is that to light?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ashley, you'd want to do the steps up to #9 in a pan, but you could transfer the mixture to an oven-safe glass dish and then heat it up in the oven.
Marie B. says
Do you have to use a cast iron skillet?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Karina, you could prep the veggies ahead of time and the blended sauce ahead of time, but I wouldn't recommend combining and cooking until you are ready to serve it. Once combined it will be difficult to reheat. Also, the texture kind of solidifies as it cools so while it still tastes good, it turns into more of a spread than a dip.
Karina says
Does this need to be served hot or is it ok to make a day ahead?
sdsds says
yummie!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
HI Kerrie, you could make it with just tofu, but it will not be as rich.
Kerrie says
Allergic to nuts....any replacements?
Katie says
Great recipe, my non vegan family even enjoyed it. I would love to have the nutrition info per serving for this recipe if available. Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Wendy, glad to hear you've been enjoying this! Hope your midterms went well:-)
Wendy says
Dear Marc, you have done it again. Thank you for the amazing recipe! This was my fuel over midterms week when I was consumed with exams and had no time to cook; then I made it again this week because it is super delicious! I like that the recipe is nutritious yet doesn't compromise the flavor. And as always, I appreciate the fantastic expressions in your writing 🙂
Rebekah says
Just made this. I substituted sunflower seeds for cashews. It was a little bland at first so I added about 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and lots more paprika. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. Thanks, this one's a keeper!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Kinda tough to compare. They both have their merits. You can eat a lot of this one without feeling too guilty, but if you're asking if it tastes like a full cheese full mayo spinach dip, then no, not quite the same.
Herr Yamamoto says
Do you prefer the vegan or the other version?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Tata, waterchestnuts have almost no taste, but they have a crisp texture. The reason why they are added here are for texture, not taste. Leaving them out won't effect the taste, but I would recommend putting in something else crisp (like celery) for the texture.
tata says
is water chestnuts a must have? can you omit it and still taste ok?