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
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This sounds so good! I have to make it this week!
I am sure you will love it when you do!
Wow, 40% of our food supply goes to waste? That’s so sad! By the way, thanks for the recipe! Gotta make it this weekend! 🙂
Awesome recipes.. Really loved the cheesy, creamy veg dips.. I could save lot of vegetables now, thank you
yes – its always good to utilize those on the way out veggies instead of throwing them away
Oh yum, this sounds and looks incredible. I am going to have to try this out soon. I love a good veggie dip.
then I am sure you will love this one 🙂
This looks incredible! I’m going to try this for sure. Thanks for showing me the best way to make a veggie dip!
sure – i hope you like it as much as my friends did!
This dip sounds so good! Need to try to make this asap!
I am sure you are going to love it!
Wow..This look yummy.The veggie dip looks great.Thank you.
it is . I am sure you would love it
This is one healthy dip. Perfect on movie nights.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! It’s sad when food goes to waste since so many people don’t get enough to eat.
isn’t it – even more a tragedy when you consider the hunger problem throughout the world
Hmm looks absolutely amazing. I am sure that it tastes and smells great as well. Thanks for sharing.
yes its delicious im sure you would love it
I’ve never had a veggie dip but now this makes me want to try it out, looks very delicious and healthy.
i dont know healthy it is with all that cheese but it is delicious 🙂
Yum does this look good! We are always looking for new tips to try out and make, we will definitely be adding this to our list of dips to make!
thanks – I am sure you will love it
Oh my goodness this sounds like it would be absolutely delicious! I have to admit I’m trying to eat more veggies so something like this is perfect.
this is a purely decadent way to enjoy them too!
Gonna recommend my girlfriend this blog for sure. She will love it. Thanks 🙂
thanks – I appreciate it!
Another dip to try! My friends call me weird because I make dip when I eat chips. Haha! Thanks for this.
sure – glad to contribute to the cause
oh my god this looks so so yummy! I don’t often eat dips but i’d love to try this recipe out!
I love veggie dips so much!!! this looks like a great recipe! Thank you
I really love veggie dips so much. This looks like a pretty simple recipe. Thanks for sharing
I am sure you would love it.
I really love this dip. I wonder if I can make it vegan friendly. Any thoughts?
that’s a hard one – because there is so much dairy and cheese in this one and I’m not sure the market substitutes will react in the same way.But I also have a White Bean Dip that’s more Vegan friendly you might like to try. It only has 1 T of Parmesan cheese that can easily be omitted.
I’m not a vegetarian but I really love to eat vegetables. Especially in summer. I need to try some of your recipes.
I’m sure you will find some to make cooking easier – Here’s a direct link to the recipe index to make it easier to find what you’re looking for – I have a lot of quick summer salads that can serve as one pot meals like this Tropical Shrimp Salad