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Friday, June 26, 2009

Whole Food's Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach artichoke dip is probably my favorite appetizer. It's usually served hot and bubbly with tons of cheese - not this dip! It can be served cold and is quite a bit healthier than your typical s/a dip, but just as good. I first found this dip at Whole Foods many years ago. I was amazed by how good it was, but it's SOOO expensive - I'm talking about $7 for a tiny container. It's so expensive that I can't even rationalize buying it . . . ever. So on our Whole Food's trip over Easter, I decided to inconspicuously write down the ingredients listed on the package and try making my own. I was pretty proud because the taste is spot on. Although their version is a bit chunkier, I pureed mine to make it easier. Same taste, different texture. The next time I make this I'll probably try the chunkier version just to compare.
Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water completely removed
1 14.5-ounce can artichoke hearts, all liquid removed
1 large or 2 small pieces of fire-roasted red peppers (from a jar is fine)
1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts
~3/4 cup light mayonnaise
~3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of sea or kosher salt
Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, roughly chop artichoke hearts, red peppers, green onions, and finely chop jalapeno. Stir well to combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Refrigerate dip until ready to serve. Great with crackers or veggies!

Source: Inspired by Whole Food's dip

17 comments:

  1. Great work! I also love their dip so I'm happy to have the recipe.

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  2. LOL, I love that you secretly wrote the ingredients down, that sounds like something I would do! This looks so delicious and perfect for a potluck, especially since it can be served cold!

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  3. This sounds really good! And so not that bad for you!

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  4. Thank you! I just had the same experience at Whole Foods a couple weeks ago and tried to memorize the ingredients (for the same reason) but didn't write them down so was ecstatic to find this recipe. Looking forward to trying it!
    Shelly

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  5. My 3 year old daughter eats the Whole Foods dip by the spoonful, so I have been hunting for a recipe so I can make it. Thanks for posting this!

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  6. fresh vs raw jalapeno? what about using raw spinach? just curious of your thoughts, as I've wanted to try and make this for ages (in fact, I bought some ingredients today at Costco!).

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  7. Hi Gina, I used fresh jalapenos, but kept them raw. You could probably use fresh spinach, but you might want to wilt it a little in the microwave or on the stove so it's more easily incorporated into the dip. I'd love to hear how it turned out! :)

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  8. I just googled "whole foods spinach artichoke dip" in hopes of finding a resourceful blogger such as yourself. This is just hte best spinach dip- I love how you can actually taste the spinach and peppers and artichokes and not just mayon and cheese. But the price is a killer! Thanks for doing the hard work for us. I can't wait to try out your recipe.

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  9. The Whole Foods Cookbook has the recipe, it is amazing(makes 4 cups):
    2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese
    2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
    1 cup Mayonnaise
    1 cup sour cream
    1 (14 – 15 oz) can artichoke hearts, drains and diced
    1 (10 ounce box) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
    6 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
    ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cheeses, mayo, and sour cream in a large bowl until well blended. Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic, and pepper. Mix well. Place the mixture in a 1 to 1.5 quart casserole dish. Bake the dip uncovered for 15 minutes, or until mixture is bubbling.

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  10. Hi Anonymous, Thank you for posting this recipe! I'd love to try it. I don't think it's the exact same dip since the one in the store that I buy has roasted red peppers, green onions, lemon juice, etc, but it sounds delicious and I will try it! :)

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  11. Using fresh spinach without wilting it seems to be what gives it the brilliant green color you see at the store. I used most of a 10 oz bag of fresh and pulsed it in batches in the food processor with the jalapeƱo and green onions, then added the artichokes, mayo and the rest at the end to keep the artichokes more chunky. Great job - I love this dip!

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  12. works well with raw spinach! Good use of garden surplus.

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  13. Hi there....this is fantastic, and taste very much like the real thing at Whole Foods...thank you so much for putting this together...I made the whole batch for about 4$ vs. the $6 container that is 1/4 of the amount this recipe made. Delicious as a sandwich spread too!

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  14. I used to live in the States and this was my absolute favorite ... I did buy it sooooo many times, I am going to try to make my own now, thanks!

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  15. I'm so glad that others share my love for this dip! Using it as a sandwich spread sounds awesome!

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  16. WARNING:
    Whole Foods changed their recipe and the spinach artichoke dip now contains mayo made with HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!!
    Make your own and do not buy the pre-made kind!

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  17. Wow, that is very surprising that Whole Foods is now using HFCS! Thanks for letting us know!

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