Knorr Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl
This is the good old Knorr spinach dip recipe served in a bread bowl with fresh veggies. It's a little uncharacteristic for Umami Girl to start a recipe with a seasoning packet from the supermarket, but I can't deny that I love (and basically everyone with a pulse loves) this stuff.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the Knorr spinach dip
- 10 ounces (283 grams) frozen chopped spinach
- 1 packet (40 grams) Knorr vegetable recipe mix
- 1 cup (208 grams) mayonnaise
- 2 cups (454 grams) sour cream
- 1 8- ounce 227-gram can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
- 3 scallions thinly sliced (optional)
To serve
- 1 sourdough boule
- Fresh veggies of your choice try baby carrots, broccoli florets, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, sliced bell peppers, and other seasonal veggies
Instructions
- To cook the spinach, place it and two tablespoons water in a microwave-safe, lidded container and cook on high until just hot, about four minutes depending on your microwave.
- When cool enough to handle, place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out all the liquid you can with a fork or spoon, or with your fingers.
- In a mixing bowl, stir vegetable recipe mix into mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in water chestnuts and then spinach, breaking up any clumps. We like to use a fork to mix in the spinach.
- Chill, covered, for at least two hours.
- Slice the top off of a sourdough boule and cut or tear out most of the soft insides, leaving about a 1/4- to 1/2-inch layer of bread inside the crust. You can cube the bread you removed and serve it for dipping, or pulse it in a food processor and use as fresh breadcrumbs in other recipes. (Fresh breadcrumbs freeze well.)
- Fill bread bowl with dip place, in the center of a serving platter, and surround with fresh veggies for dipping.
Notes
- Frozen chopped spinach is your best bet for this recipe. It's cost-efficient and easy to work with.
- Use a regular, good-quality supermarket mayo like Hellman's.
- Full-fat sour cream makes the best version of this dip, but you've got some flexibility here, so use what you like. The package pictured above is my absolute favorite — it's leagues more delicious than other brands.
- Knorr vegetable recipe mix contains dried carrots, onions, tomatoes, celery root, leeks, cabbage, cauliflower, green peas, potatoes — and plenty of umami-forward flavor enhancers.
- Water chestnuts are an aquatic vegetable. In U.S. supermarkets, you'll usually find them sliced in the canned vegetables section. Drain any liquid and chop them nice and finely. They add a lovely crispness and lightness to the dip.
- Scallions aren't essential, but they add a nice dimension if you've got some on hand. Trim off the roots and any dry parts at the tips, and either slice them nice and thin or mince them. Once trimmed, you can use the whole thing.
- Not pictured: If you'd like to serve the dip in a bread bowl, you'll need a standard-sized boule (a round loaf). My favorite option is sourdough when I can find one, but you can use any kind you like. Alternatively, you can serve the dip in an actual bowl alongside crackers (such as Triscuits), hearty corn chips, or pita chips. And I've hardly ever met a fresh vegetable that didn't want to be dipped into this absolute dream of a buffet item.
- Dip leftovers, should you have any, should keep in the fridge for a week — but only if they haven't been sitting out on the counter for hours first. If you think your crowd won't demolish the whole batch, start with a smaller bread bowl (or just a bowl bowl, to be honest) and leave some of the dip in the fridge, topping up your serving bowl as needed. I don't recommend freezing leftover spinach dip. Neither mayo nor sour cream freezes well, and the spinach was already frozen.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 1g