Healthy Spinach Dip (Video)

This Healthy Spinach Dip Recipe with yogurt, twice more spinach and four times less mayo makes the same creamy and flavorful spinach dip you know.

It is super easy appetizer that tastes incredible without extra calories. Also make sure to try my baked spinach feta dip.

Spinach Dip

This healthy spinach dip is the first to go at any party I bring it to. No one realizes it is healthy. And absolutely everyone asks me for a recipe. And you know where I send them, right?! 🙂

And hands down, it’s one of the easiest healthy dips to make. Any time you are asked to bring an appie, think of this spinach dip.

All you have to do is thaw the spinach overnight (or in a microwave if you forgot), sauté a few veggies and stir. That’s it!

Healthy Spinach Dip Ingredients

With twice more spinach (“hello”, superfood), 4 times less mayo (“goodbye”, saturated fat) and Greek yogurt (“yesss”, protein) this dip tastes same creamy, decadent and flavorful as you know it.

• Frozen or fresh spinach
• Fresh onion, carrots and garlic
• Greek or regular whole milk plain yogurt
• Mayo
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Healthy Spinach Dip

• Prepare spinach. Place spinach in a colander and defrost for at least 8 hours or overnight. Using your hands, squeeze excess water. Spinach doesn’t have to be completely dry, some water is fine. Transfer squeezed spinach to a medium bowl.
• Saute vegetables. Preheat ceramic non-stick skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and carrot. Sauté for 7 minutes or until translucent, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl with spinach. Fresh veggies replace nasty packet of onion mix soup in traditional spinach recipe.
• Stir everything together. Add yogurt, mayo, salt and pepper. Stir well to mix and now add grated garlic to taste. Fresh garlic at the end makes all the difference! Trust this Ukrainian. 🙂

How to Make Spinach Dip with Fresh Spinach

I have made healthy spinach dip with fresh spinach many times because it is hard to find organic frozen spinach. And I’m all for organic greens especially because they are heavily sprayed with pesticides.

• Buy two 11 oz boxes of baby spinach (preferably organic). It also helps that it is pre-washed.
• Chop coarsely and saute, adding to the skillet in batches as spinach wilts.
• Transfer to a colander and let cool.
• Using your hands, squeeze excess water. Save liquid for a green smoothie (especially if it’s organic).
• Your “thawed spinach” is ready.

Can I Make It Ahead?

Yes. Spinach dip can be prepared in advance since this is cold spinach dip recipe. Although it does taste super good warm when mixed with fresh sauteed veggies.

Refrigerate stirred dip in an airtight container stirred for up to 2-3 days. Give it a stir before serving. Or add all ingredients to a bowl, cover and refrigerate like this, and then combine right before serving.

However, this type of dip benefits from flavors sitting together and “marrying” each other for a bit.

What to Serve Spinach Dip With?

Warm or cold, this dip tastes amazing! It’s a personal preference and circumstances. We love it warm right after it’s made. We love it cold the next day because flavors had a chance to marry each other more.

• You can put healthy spinach dip in a traditional bread bowl. Sourdough is a healthy choice. Here is a great video how to hollow out a bread bowl.
• Pita chips
• Pretzel chips
• Baked corn crackers like Salmas.
• Brown rice crackers like Mary’s Gone Crackers.

More Tips

• Regular plain yogurt with fat content 2% and higher will work. Doesn’t have to be Greek yogurt.
• Don’t use 0% (non-fat yogurt). Spinach dip won’t be tasty.
• Don’t skip mayo. I used 1/4 cup of avocado oil mayo. That was plenty. If you don’t add mayo, spinach dip will be flat and lack flavor. Organic, Vegenaise or any mayo without canola oil is a healthy option. Mayo in small amount is a healthy choice.

More Healthy Dips to Try

• Garlic hummus
• Shrimp ceviche
• Avocado yogurt dip
• Garlic olive oil dip

Healthy Spinach Dip

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

This Healthy Spinach Dip Recipe with yogurt, twice more spinach and four times less mayo makes the same creamy and flavorful spinach dip you know. Tastes incredible without extra calories.

• Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 12 minutes
• Cook Time: 7 minutes
• Total Time: 19 minutes
• Yield: Serves a crowd
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: North American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 x 10 oz packages chopped spinach, frozen*
• 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced + 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 2 tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups Greek or regular plain yogurt (at least 2% fat)**
• 1/4 cup mayo***
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place spinach in a colander and defrost for at least 8 hours or overnight. Alternatively you could use a microwave.
2. Using your hands, squeeze as much water out as possible and transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Preheat ceramic non-stick skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and carrot; sauté for 7 minutes or until translucent, stirring occasionally.
4. Transfer to a bowl with spinach along with yogurt, mayo, salt and pepper.
5. Stir well to mix and add grated garlic to taste.
6. Serve with pretzel chips or brown rice crackers.

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. Stir again before serving.

Make Ahead: Refrigerate stirred dip in an airtight container stirred for up to 2-3 days. Give it a stir before serving. Or add all ingredients to a bowl, cover and refrigerate like this, and then combine right before serving.

Notes

*Substitute with 2 x 11 oz boxes of fresh spinach – chop the leaves, sauté until wilted and squeeze liquid out.

**Don’t use 0% (non-fat yogurt).

***I use avocado oil mayo; organic, Vegenaise or any mayo without canola oil is a healthy option.

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

612.2 g221.2 mg4 g4.4 g2.6 g4.2 mg

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