Last Updated on January 12, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Best Veggie Dip – This dip full of smoky roasted vegetable flavor and oozing with lots of luscious cheese is the perfect indulgent dip for any party. With Father’s Day and Grad Parties on the horizon, this is a great addition to your party menu!
It’s best served warm so keep it in a crockpot/slow cooker on low/keep warm setting so it can stay at the perfect temperature for the party. Or keep it on the Keep Warm setting in your Instapot
Why Veggie Dip?
How I came up with this recipe for the Best Veggie Dip is wanting to use up some extra veggies in the pantry. In the US, 40% of our food supply goes to waste. It is a very sad statistic when you consider how many children only get food from the free meals offered in their schools. For some, that is the only meal they are getting daily in the 4th richest country in the world. I really try not to contribute to that statistic. When cauliflowers are sometimes the size of a small watermelon, it’s sometimes hard to use it all up before it starts to deteriorate.
When vegetables get to that in between stage when they are no longer bright and crisp, but not yet spoiled or rancid, I try to use them up quickly before I have to throw them away. I often throw them into soups, but another fabulous way is to use them in dips, hummus and any kind of condiment where they eventually get pureed. Needing to use up the end of a huge head of cauliflower, I created this Best Veggie Dip.
It’s vegetarian, but indulgent – perfect to treat the special Dad on Father’s Day (as long as he’s not diabetic or a heart patient)! Maybe this dip is too cheesy and indulgent for you? Try some of my other condiments for healthier options to go with your chips!
Party Dip Recipes
Salsa Huancaina (Spicy Peruvian Cheese Sauce)
Sosu Kaani (Senegalese Hot Sauce Dip)
Fire Roasted Bell Pepper Pesto
Instant Aji Criolla (Ecuadorian Hot Sauce)
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST VEGGIE DIP
Enjoy with your favorite chip – I had them with these Black Bean Chips by Garden of Eatin’!
Best Veggie Dip
Ingredients
- 3 crushed garlic cloves
- 8 oz. cauliflower about ¼ of a cauliflower head)
- 1 red bell pepper about 6 oz.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons harissa
- 1 cup grated smoked gouda cheese
- 2 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Cut the cauliflower into large florets.
- Core the bell pepper and cut in large pieces.
- Toss garlic, cauliflower and bell pepper with the olive oil.
- Place in an oven save dish and roast for 30 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 F.
- In a food processor, chop roasted vegetables until very fine.
- Add spinach and process until well chopped.
- Add cream cheese and sour cream. Process until well blended.
- Add salt, harissa, smoked gouda and 2 cups of the cheddar cheese.
- Process until well blended.
- Transfer to an oven safe shallow baking dish.
- Add remaining cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake for 40 minutes-45 minutes, until golden brown.
- Serve warm with your favorite chips.
Nutrition
Can the Schizo Chef help you with your cooking, travel and other needs? START HERE to find out!
Awesome recipe, thank you for sharing, I would definitely try this out. I like that it is really practical
thank you – yes it’s a great way to reduce vegetable waste