The Spicy Spatula

I love a good dip. Maybe it’s because I love chips and vegan dips are the perfect way to enjoy them, or maybe it’s just because I love the act of dipping things into vats of creamy goodness.

Who knows?

Well I was really in the mood for a vegan spinach & artichoke dip but thanks to ‘world events’ a few weeks had gone by without any artichokes–fresh or jarred–so I was forced to improvise. And since I’ve been on a kick making vegan squash and vegan pumpkin recipes, you can imagine that I had quite a bit to use time and time again and I was like, “Well, squash can be made cheesy, right?”

The answer, folks, is yeah. It can.

As you can probably tell by the photo there is a lot of squash in this recipe, because it’s part of the dip as well as the queso, if that makes sense?

Ingredients:
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Spinach (frozen works well here)
Red bell pepper
Shallot
Nutritional yeast
Vegan cheese (for topping)
Tapioca starch
Olive oil
Almond milk (I used Alpro Almond, No Sugars)

Start with the shallots & bell peppers, giving them a quick saute, but do it in a pan big enough to hold the squash because this is a one pot vegan dip! When shallots & peppers are close to done, add the garlic and cook for a minute or two.

Then add the frozen spinach and break it up if you didn’t thaw it in cold water first. Now it’s time to add the…butternut squash! Use a wooden spoon to stir and make sure it’s all broken up, or pop it in the food processor or blender until smooth.

Season with desired herbs & spices and this is where you should also add the nutritional yeast for that pop of flavor.

Slowly add the milk until it’s a little loose and then add the tapioca starch, one teaspoon at a time until you notice that thick cheesy consistency start to form.

Garnish with your favorite vegan cheese and bake for 20 minutes on 180 Celsius. Eat with your favorite vegan dipper!

When this vegan queso dip comes out of the oven it’ll be golden brown and bubbly and HOT. Proceed with caution!

And if you’re like me and can’t get enough spice, add a few drops of Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce on top and dig right in!