Recipe: Nutritious Artichoke Spinach Avocado Dip Recipe

Here in Texas, avocados are a constant in our meals.   We add them into our breakfast tacos.  We mash and spread them on bread instead of mayonaise for turkey sandwiches.  And, of course, we mash them up for guacamole to have during happy hour (with a margarita).

Looking for a new and nutritious way to enjoy avocados?  The Essential Thyroid Cookbook by Lisa Markley and Jill Grunewald contains my favorite avocado dip recipe.  I love making it in the late morning to have with a poached egg on gluten-free toast or on  toasted sweet potato slices.  Sometimes  I save the rest to later share with friends and family, served with non-GMO tortilla chips or sliced apples.

A Dip Rich in Nutrients

This recipe is filled with fiber, ‘good’ fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals.   This means the dip can help stabilize blood sugar, lower cholesterol and load you up with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer molecules. I still can’t believe that something that taste as good as this dip is jam packed with so many nutrients. If you are up to including the optional nutritional yeast, you’ll get a subtle nutty taste to the dip as well as added B vitamins, essential nutrients for brain health.

Essential Thyroid Cookbook  is not only for folks with thyroid disorders.  It is filled with tons of great tasting, easy to prepare, and nutrient-dense recipes. While I am sharing my personal favorite, the Avocado Dip from page 207, there are many other recipes I make all the time.   Want to order the cookbook?   Go to this link and use the promo code FLOURISH for 20% off.

Recipe Adaptation

We have adapted the recipe from the cookbook to use a variety of greens instead of just spinach. Many of our people at Flourish solely rely on spinach as their only leafy green. Diversity is key to a healthy microbiome.  Diversifying the greens in this recipe, as well as in your other meals, can help keep your oxalate levels in check and add diversity to your microbiome.

Spinach, Artichoke, and Avocado Dip

~ The Essential Thyroid Cookbook, L. Markley and J. Grunewald

Ingredients:

1 large avocado

1/4 cup fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 small clove garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon minced organic garlic from a jar)

1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder

2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup canned artichoke hearts; drained and chopped

1 cup packed fresh greens, finely chopped (ex: combo of spinach, chard, bok choy, arugula, Organic Girl Power Greens)

Black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Scoop the fresh from the avocado into a food processor affixed with an S-blad.
2. Add basil, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, nutritional yeast (if using) and salt.
3. Process for 1-2 minutes, until completely smooth and creamy. Transfer avocado cream to a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
4. Place artichoke hearts and greens into the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times, be careful not to over-process. Don’t worry about cleaning the avocado residue out of the bowl first.
5. Transfer the artichoke and spinach mixture to the bowl with avocado cream and stir well to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
6. Place dip in a serving bowl and serve alongside fresh vegetables or tortilla chips.

Cook’s note: This dip is best enjoyed right away but may be kept for up to 1 day in the refrigerator before browning occurs. Place in an airtight container with a layer of parchment paper pressed tightly against the dip to minimize browning.