Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Happy Meatless Monday. I hope you had a delicious Christmas enjoying all the things you love. On Christmas Eve I worked all day at Trader Joe’s. We have been so busy that our store beat our all time sales record.  It was a bedlam of discount wine and imported brie shoppers. I spent the entire day helping people get the necessary edibles and libations for their celebrations…by 4 P.M. , when my shift was done, I was ready for some celebrating of my own.

When I got home Sandy told me she had made an appetizer for us. Yay!  When I rounded the corner to the kitchen I thought my eyes had deceived me…”Is that Spinach Dip?” Spinach Dip has always been our thing. It is what we have always purchased to demarcate a celebration. I know it isn’t incredibly imaginative but it became a tradition, a must have.  We had it at Christmas, cocktail parties and certainly on New Years Eve. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until  it was sitting on my kitchen table. It felt like a Christmas miracle.

For a split second I imagined Sandy had gone mad and had brought dairy laden spinach dip into our home. It couldn’t be. Then she proclaimed proudly…”I made vegan Spinach Dip!” I looked at it wide eyed like it was a pot of gold then jammed my face into the bowl. I had to reign myself to go and get the camera. I knew it was a Kodak moment.

The dip was ovation worthy. It was creamy and light. The water chestnuts were crunchy and the spinach tasted green and sweet. As we bathed in our tradition once again, it occurred to me how strange it was that we hadn’t  tried to veganize it before now.  We have gone without this beloved dip for over a year and a half. I think I just believed it was too much of a sacred thing to try and replicate. You wouldn’t try and make Diet Coke in your home kitchen…you just wouldn’t.  Sandy felt differently though. If you tell her she can’t do something then she will do it twice. If she can make vegan fish and chips or beer cheese soup then darn it….she is going to make Spinach Dip.

Vegan Spinach Dip

By: S. Boulton (modified from Knorr’s Vegetable soup mix)

Ingredients

1 packet of Knorr’s dry vegetable soup mix (I’m sure another brand of dry vegetable soup mix would work, this was  my old friend)

1 12 oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach  (some pkgs are 10 oz and that would work too)

12 oz of non-dairy sour cream

1 C non-dairy mayonnaise (I used a new one to us,  from Earth Balance)

1 8 0z can of waterchestnuts, drained and rinsed, chop to desired bite sizes

Make it Happen:

Cook frozen spinach until it warms through.  I prepared it by putting  1/3 C water in a pot and simmered it for 5-6 minutes.

This can also be done in the microwave.  Remove from heat, rinse spinach in cold water and drain thoroughly, in fact, squeeze the water out of it.  In medium sized bowl mix spinach with all the other ingredients until completely blended.  Chill for about 2 hours (or longer) before serving.  Makes about 4 cups of spinach dip, enough for a good party appetizer with friends.

We brought it to share on Christmas Day and everyone ooohed and aaahed. It felt  treasured and familiar. I think that vegan Spinach Dip is the perfect appetizer to help ring in your New Year. Cholesterol and cruelty free. Yum.

Have a delicious day.

Tags: classic spinach dip, Meatless Monday, Meatless Monday recipe, meatless monday snack, vegan appetizer recipe, vegan new years eve recipe, vegan SPinach dip recipe, vegetarian appeztier