Creamy Spinach Dip

I made this dip for our son’s birthday party and it was a big hit so I thought I’d share. It is really easy to make and you can adjust the seasoning to fit your tastes. This dip is great warm or cold and you can even use it as a pasta sauce! It also contains miso which is fermented so it contains probiotics. You can find miso at asian markets but I have also see in at natural groceries. A quality one will be refrigerated. I also included a guide on how to quickly de-seed a pepper. This recipe is baby approved and perfect for dipping veggies!

How To Quickly De-Seed a Bell Pepper

Rinse the pepper

Cut the bottom off

Cut the top off by cutting 1/4 inch down horizontally from the top AND through the stem

Cut the sides off and you should have an intact center with seeds left

 Kid Approved

 

Creamy Spinach Dip

Gluten Free*, Vegan

Makes about 3 cups

3 handfuls spinach

1 red bell pepper

1 small avocado

2 tbl miso*

1 ½ tbl lemon juice

½ tsp black pepper

Heat a pan over medium heat. De-seed the pepper and cut into large pieces; lay the pieces onto the hot pan with the outer skin side down. Cook for several minutes without moving until the skin has started to bubble and brown. 

Flip the pepper pieces over, turn off the heat, and add the spinach. Wilt the spinach for a few minutes and then move the pan to a cool eye. You aren’t trying to cook the spinach just soften it up a little. Let the spinach and pepper cool slightly then add to a food processor, pulse until chopped. Remove the pit from the avocado and scoop out the flesh. Add it and the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Serve warm or cold. It will last about 2 days in the fridge but the color will darken some.

Notes and Substitutions

• *Not all miso is gluten free. Some miso is made with barley. Check your labels. I use chickpea miso, which is gluten and soy free. I recommend white or yellow miso for this recipe but if you had red it should be tasty too.
• If your avocado is a bit larger I would start with half and then add the other half. You can make the recipe more or less creamy with the amount of avocado.  We like ours with more spinach and less avocado.
• You can roast your bell pepper in the oven or char it on a grill. Just get the skin a little cooked because it brings out a unique flavor in the bell pepper.

What is your favorite dip recipe?