Spinach Artichoke Dip - Low fat, Vegan, and Healthy

Enjoy your favorite dip with lower fat and calories.
Spinach artichoke dip has always been one of my favorite dips. However, not only is it extremely caloric, it is also very high in not so good for you type fat. The typical artichoke and spinach dip recipe calls for a good amount of mayonnaise and parmesan cheese which tastes great but is a little too rich for my weight loss diet. 

I've been searching for a lower fat and Weight Watcher friendly recipe for a long time, and I think I finally found one. My friend Susan gave me a recipe and I've adapted it to meet my personal preferences. Just because its the holidays it doesn't mean you have to give up on healthy eating.

A half cup serving of this vegan spinach artichoke dip is only 2 points on the Weight Watcher program that I follow. It's allergy friendly and works for variety of guests. (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and nut free).

Nutritional yeast is frequently used in vegan recipes to give recipes a cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast works perfectly in this recipe. I buy nutritional yeast in Whole Foods or a health food type store.

White beans become very creamy when mashed or blended. They make a decent substitute for the mayonnaise- not exactly but acceptable. You could use canned white beans or I make my own in the Instant Pot because it's so fast and easy. It's just one more way I use my Instant Pot. See notes at the bottom of the post for cooking beans in the Instant Pot.

The recipe is easy to make and quite flavorful. It's a healthy choice for a holiday party and everyone will love it! It is also parve. 

I'm frequently asked to bring a dip or other appetizer to a party. I like to try to bring something that I can(and want to) eat. It has to be gluten free and I prefer dairy free.

I make vegetable sticks for dipping

This artichoke spinach dip is perfect.

I pair it up with crudite and or gluten free crackers. The beans provide protein and fiber, the vegetables are full of vitamins and antioxidants, while the nutritional yeast has a significant amount of B-vitamins. I consider this delicious recipe a guilt free holiday party dip! 

Ingredients: 
avocado oil spray or olive oil spray
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 cans of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 pound of fresh spinach, chopped or
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and all moisture squeezed out
1 can of white beans (15 ounce) drained, or 3 cups of cooked white beans
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Pink salt and cracked pepper to taste

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350
Spray a large skillet with avocado oil spray. Sautee the onion, garlic until onion is translucent. Add spinach and cook an additional minute. Add chopped artichoke hearts and stir well. Turn off heat and set aside.
Place cooked beans in a food processor and add salt, pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and half of the artichoke mixture. Process on and off until beans become like hummus. Remove from food processor, and mix the bean paste with the remainder of the artichoke mixture with a spoon. Pour into a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.

Serve with crudite or gluten free crackers.

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How to cook beans in the Instant Pot
Soak beans over night. Drain well and place in the insert liner of the Instant Pot. Cover with water ( salt and a few pieces of garlic is optional). Set to Pressure cook for 25 minutes. Allow to slow release or quick release according to manufacturers directions. Drain beans before using.

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