Melanie Spiller and Coloratura Consulting

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Asparagus and Spinach Dip (vegan)

Melanie Spiller and Coloratura Consulting

Makes about 3 cups 1 TBLSP olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 pound asparagus, rough ends removed, cut into 2-inch lengths 1 pound spinach (about 2 bunches), washed well, stems removed, chopped coarsely 1/3 cup water 1 cup raw cashews 3 TBLSP capers, with brine Salt, to taste Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper 1 TBLSP fresh lemon juice (from ½ lemon) Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in the oil for about a minute, until fragrant, stirring to keep it from burning. Add the asparagus and water, cover, and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 5 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green. Lower the heat to medium. Add the spinach in batches, letting the leaves wilt so that there’s room in the pan for more. Cover the pan to make the wilting go faster; it should take about three minutes. Once the spinach has been added, cook uncovered for about five minutes. Meanwhile, put the cashews, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Whirl until the cashews are small, coarse crumbs. Scrape down the sides of the processor to make sure everything is ground to a similar consistency. When the spinach is finished cooking, add it to the food processor, scraping as much of the garlic from the pan as possible, and adding any remaining water. Add the lemon juice and whirl, adjusting the salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer to a container and chill for at least an hour. Three cups is rather a lot of this dip. The recipe halves well, and you can play around with the percentages of asparagus and spinach almost endlessly. From Veganomicon, p66-67. Per TBLSP: 34 calories, 2.3 fat, .38 saturated fat, 14.6 sodium, 2.3 carb., .6 fiber, .6 sugar, 1.3 protein