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Warm Vegan Kale and Artichoke Dip Crossroads Kitchen by Tal Ronnen
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4.63 from 8 votes

Warm Kale & Artichoke Dip from Crossroads by Tal Ronnen + A Giveaway!

"That retro classic, spinach and artichoke dip laden with cream cheese and sour cream, is transformed into a contemporary version that is still rich and creamy but allows the vegetables to shine. Kale's chewy texture and peppery kick make it a bold stand-in for spinach. When sauteing the artichokes, take care not to let them brown; you want the dip to keep its beautiful pale color. The cashew cream needs to be prepared a day in advance, so plan accordingly. Serve with Harissa Potato Chips, Lentil Crackers, or raw vegetables, or try putting it on baked potatoes or using it as a filling for stuffed pasta, such as cappellacci." - Tal Ronnen in Crossroads
Course: Appetizer, Dip
Servings: 4 cups
Author: Tal Ronnen | Crossroads

Ingredients

  • 8 large artichoke hearts or two 15-ounce cans artichoke hearts in water
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter stick
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup dry sherry
  • 1 cup Cashew Cream*
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 6 cups baby kale, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Sliced raw vegetables (or tortilla chips) for servings
  • Smoked paprika, for garnish

Instructions

  • If using fresh artichoke hearts, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the artichoke hearts and blanch for 10 minutes, or until slightly tender; a paring knife should slide in easily. Drain the hearts and plunge into an ice bath to "shock" them -- i.e., stop the cooking and cool them quickly. Drain and coarsely chop. If using canned artichokes, simply drain and chop.
  • Put a large deep saute pan over medium heat and add the butter substitute. When it has melted, add the shallots, garlic, and artichoke hearts and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the wine and sherry and cook for 1 minutes to evaporate some of the alcohol. Add the cashew cream, stock, nutritional yeast flakes, and thyme, reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently simmer until thick, 35 to 40 minutes; stir occasionally to make sure the cream mixture doesn't stick and burn on the bottom of the pan.
  • Fold in the kale a few handfuls at a time and continue to simmer until the kale is soft and the artichokes have broken down slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. (The dip will keep for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. To serve, reheat over medium-low heat, stirring often.)
  • If the dip appears to thick, add a couple of tablespoons of stock or water.
  • Spoon the dip into a serving bowl, dust with smoked paprika, and serve with the potato chips, crackers, or sliced raw vegetables.

Notes

*To make the cashew cream:
2 cups whole raw cashews, rinsed
Filtered water
Put the cashews in a bowl and pour enough col filtered water to cover. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 1 day.
Drain the cashews in a colander and rinse with cold water. Transfer the cashews to a blender, preferably a Vitamix, and pour in enough cold filtered water to cover them by 1 inch, about 3 cups. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until very smooth and creamy without any trace of graininess. The cashew cream should be smooth on the palate; add more water if necessary. If you're not using a heavy-duty blender, you may need to strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of any grittiness.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. It will thicken as it sits, so blend with ½ cup or so filtered water if needed to reach the desired consistency. It can also be frozen.
Excerpted from Crossroads by Tal Ronnen with Scot Jones (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2015. Photographs by Lisa Romerein.