Vegan Cheesy Rice and Spinach Dip

I’m a total snackaholic. Sunday nights are usually snack night in my house. I like to put together a big cheese platter or a cook up a creamy dip to serve with cut vegetables while Dennis and I are watching Sunday night television. Recently, I wanted to change this up a little, as we’d had the same a snacks a few weeks in a row. I was craving something with spinach and cheese, and I had some Mahatma Jasmine Rice in the pantry, so I set about concocting something yummy. It may seem strange to put rice in a dip, but I recently discovered that it is indeed a thing! Think of it a savory rice pudding.

No one will ever guess that this cheesy spinach dip is loaded with vegetables! Paired with crackers, tortilla chips, or cut vegetables it’s a great snack, but because it’s so nutritious, you can also serve it as a light meal!

Mahatma Jasmine Rice

I’ve used Mahatma Jasmine Rice in my dip. I love that it cooks up quickly and is extremely versatile. It pairs well with Asian flavors, but it also works well in fusion dishes. It fills your kitchen with a delicate Jasmine aroma when cooking, and it has a deliciously delicate flavor. It’s moist and tender, and it remains soft when it’s chilled, so it’s a great choice for dips.

 Mahatma Jasmine Rice is:

• A long grain exotic rice imported from Thailand
• Non-GMO Project Verified
• Certified Gluten-Free
• All natural – there are no additives

Look for Mahatma Jasmine Rice at a store near you and try it for yourself!

How to Make Vegan Cheesy Rice and Spinach Dip

This dip is easy to make! The vegetables boil for the same amount of time that the rice takes to cook, so there is little time spent waiting around in the kitchen.

• First you boil carrots, cauliflower, a sweet potato, and a little bit of sweet onion until they’re soft.
• While the vegetables are boiling, you cook the rice according the package’s instructions.
• Then you blend them together with seasonings until it’s smooth, creamy, and cheese-like. 
• Once the rice is cooked and the sauce is ready, you just fold them together with the spinach.
• Finally, you pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake it for half an hour in a 400° oven until it’s hot and bubbly.

Then just serve and snack!

I’ve used frozen spinach in this recipe because it’s easier to use in dips than fresh. Defrost it in your fridge overnight and squeeze as much water out of it as possible. I like to use my TofuXpress to drain my spinach. You can also place it in a colander and place something heavy on top of it/ If you do prefer fresh spinach, give it a quick sauté before mixing into the dip. 

Print

Vegan Cheesy Rice and Spinach Dip

Full of hidden veggies, this Vegan Cheesy Rice and Spinach Dip is the ultimate snack. Serve it hot with chips or carrot sticks

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword rice and spinach dip, spinach dip, vegan spinach dip

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Yields 10 servings

Calories 176 kcal

Author Dianne

Ingredients

• 1 cup Mahatma Jasmine Rice
• 1½ cups water
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 small sweet potato peeled and chopped
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• ½ cup raw cashews
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach thawed, well-drained, and chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Cook the Mahatma Jasmine Rice in the water according to the package instructions.
3. While the rice is cooking, place the carrots, onion, sweet potato, cauliflower and cashews in a large pot. Fill it with enough water to cover the vegetables plus about two inches.
4. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender.

5. Drain the vegetables and save the water. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly and then place them in a high-speed blender or food processor along with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Add 2 cups of the reserved cooking water and blend until smooth and creamy. Add a little more water if the mixture is too thick. Keep in mind that it will thicken when it’s heated.

6. Poor the mixture into a small casserole dish. Gently fold in the cooked rice and the chopped spinach.
7. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Serve hot with crackers, tortilla chips, or cut vegetables.

More dip recipes you might enjoy include:

• Buffalo Chickpea Dip
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Everything but the Bagel Dip
• Roasted Garlic Hummus
• Vegan Five Layer Dip