Warm vegan spinach and artichoke dip
I like this with lots of fresh crudites – fennel, radicchio and radishes are particular favourites – and tortilla chips; it also works really well as a creamed spinach-style side to eat with roast vegetables such as wedges of butternut squash or celeriac.
30 minutes
Prep
40 minutes
Cook
6 people
Serving size
Ingredients
90ml olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, cut in half and finely sliced (220g net weight)
3 red chillies, 2 finely sliced on an angle, the other deseeded and finely chopped
25g coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
1 x 285g jar artichokes in olive oil, drained (190g net) and oil reserved
350g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted, well squeezed and roughly chopped (or enough fresh spinach to wilt down to 350g, roughly chopped)
3 tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped, brine reserved
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced (85g net)
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
600g silken tofu, drained
4 garlic cloves, peeled, three left whole, the fourth crushed
2 tbsp white miso paste
2 tsp cornflour
60g panko breadcrumbs
Method
1. Put 90ml oil in a large, shallow, ovenproof saute pan on a medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 18-20 minutes, until soft and caramelised. Add the chopped chilli and coriander stalks, cook for a minute, then add 115g drained artichokes, all the spinach, two tablespoons of capers, three of the spring onions, all but a tablespoon of the coriander leaves, a tablespoon of the lemon juice, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Stir to combine, take off the heat and set aside.
2. Put the sliced chillies in a small bowl with the remaining two tablespoons of lemon juice and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then set aside to pickle. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9.
3. Put the tofu in a food processor with the three whole garlic cloves, miso, cornflour and remaining 75g artichokes, add two tablespoons of caper brine and a tablespoon of reserved artichoke oil, and blitz for a minute, until completely smooth. Pour into the onion pan and stir well. Smooth out the top, then clean the exposed sides of the pan with a piece of kitchen paper.
4. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, a tablespoon of olive oil, the crushed garlic and the last tablespoon of capers, then sprinkle evenly all over the top of the spinach mix. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through, until golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the remaining tablespoon of coriander, spring onions and pickled chillies, and serve at once, or set aside and leave to cool to room temperature first.