Do you have friends or co-workers with those challenging dietary restrictions… like gluten free, dairy free, raw foods only, vegan? Ever wonder what to take to a work party or social event that everyone can eat? Well, here it is… Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Spinach Dip. This vegan, raw food dip will appeal to even your most picky friends, but everyone else will love it, too.
Jeanne found this recipe on the Raw Fusion Kitchen website. I am so glad she shared it with us on our ski weekend! We could not stop eating this dip and nobody really seemed to care that it was dairy free, gluten free and raw. In fact, we found that a great way to eat it was to scoop it out of the bowl with Fritos (But, BTW… Fritos are gluten free, too. Just thought I would mention that).
The view of Mount Rainier from White Pass Ski Area.
This is a large recipe you can make ahead and freeze in smaller portions so you will always have something to pull out and serve when your gluten free, dairy free, raw foods only, vegan friends drop by unexpectedly. And, if you are looking for something healthy to share at a Superbowl Party (Go 49ers!), I would definitely recommend this dip.
- 10 oz. fresh, organic spinach leaves
- 1 half medium red onion
- 1.5 cups organic, unpasteurized almonds (soaked and dehydrated)
- 0.5 cups organic, really raw cashews (soaked and dehydrated)
- 0.25 cups of organic, cold-pressed olive oil
- 1.5 cups water
- 1/3 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. Nutritional Flakes
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
- Chop spinach and red onion and place in mixing bowl.
- Put remaining ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
- Combine blender contents in bowl and mix.
- Chill for 1-2 hours to increase the dip’s thickness.
8 comments
This may be a silly question but why do you soak and dehydrate the almonds and cashews? Do you have to do that? Thanks!
Hi, Ruth! You definitely do not need to soak the nuts. We’ve made the recipe both ways and it tastes equally as good. There are supposedly some heath benefits to soaking nuts… here is a link if you are interested in learning more http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/the-benefits-of-soaking-nuts-and-seeds
– Mary
You’re welcome, Mary. I LOVE nutritional yeast, so I think that everyone should give it a go at least once, especially in a recipe like this one. Good idea about the fresh veggies. Yum!
@Jeannie, Nutritional flakes imparts a cheesy taste to foods that don’t contain dairy, so I’d think that it’s a pretty key ingredient to get the expected flavor from a spinach dip. You can probably find it at your local health food store or possibly at a bulk food store.
One thing that I think this article kind of glosses over is that if the item people are using to dip into the spinach dip isn’t gluten free, then it won’t stay gluten free. Fritos are an option, as you mentioned, as are corn-based tortilla chips, Mary’s Crackers, and some rice crackers.
Hi, Melissa – Thanks for your input on the nutritional yeast. Yes, I agree, it is a key ingredient for both the texture and flavor of this delicious dip. Everyone in our group agreed this dip tasted like it contained sour cream or cheese – most likely because of the nutritional yeast. And, great point about dipping… if you are serving this to someone who is actually allergic to gluten or gluten intolerant (nobody in our group was), definitely make sure you serve it with gluten free crackers or, even better yet, fresh veggies.
“49er dip” has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Nutritional flakes? Is that a key ingredient or can I skip it?
Hi, Jeannie – yes, the nutritional yeast is a key ingredient. It is easy to find in most bulk sections. I know it is available at QFC, Whole Foods, Fred Meyer, and PCC.
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