When I was a kid, I used to love the spinach and artichoke dips from the Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen. But since I’ve sworn off butter, sour cream, white flour, or any other artery-clogging dairy product or overly-processed ingredient, I’ve been looking for an alternative to that delicious dip.
Lucky for me, my wife came up with one a little while ago. Although it’s definitely not the same, this simple, delicious, and totally healthy artichoke dip is more than satisfying without any of the gut-busting ingredients of the old standard. It can be used as a sauce over whole-grain pasta or vegetables, as well.
Ariel’s Artichoke Dip Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 14-ounce cans of artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
- 1 garlic bulb, peeled
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 5 tbsp vegetable broth (or chicken broth, if you’re not vegetarian)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, heat broth, garlic, chili flakes, salt, and artichoke hearts. Cover and simmer on low for one hour.
- Remove from heat and blend half of the mixture in a blender with lemon juice until smooth.
- Stir blended mixture with remaining mixture in pan. Mix thoroughly.
- Pour in a serving dish and chill.
- Serve with fresh or blanched vegetables, whole grain pita, or as a pasta sauce.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
