WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Spinach dip can often feel like the healthy choice on a table of finger foods or appetizers, but it should still be flavor-packed. For a spinach dip that pleased everyone, we opted for the convenience of frozen spinach and ramped up the flavor with fragrant fresh herbs, sweet red bell pepper, scallions, garlic, and some hot sauce for a little kick. To combine these disparate ingredients with ease, we used the food processor to help distribute the spinach evenly throughout the dip. This method also made it easy to add other flavors to the dip for a couple of creative variations. The garlic must be minced before going into the food processor or else the finished dip will contain large chunks of garlic. Serve with crudités or crackers.
SERVES: 8
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes (plus 1 hour refrigeration time)
INGREDIENTS:
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped fine
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 3 scallions, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce
- Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Process all ingredients with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a food processor until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Transfer to serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until flavors have blended, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
VARIATIONS:
SPINACH DIP WITH BLUE CHEESE AND BACON
- Omit bell pepper, dill, hot sauce, and salt.
- Add ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese to food processor with spinach.
- Sprinkle with 2 slices cooked, crumbled bacon before serving.
CILANTRO-LIME SPINACH DIP
- Omit bell pepper, dill, and hot sauce.
- Add ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, ½ teaspoon grated lime zest, 1 tablespoon lime juice, ½ teaspoon light brown sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin to food processor with spinach
