Hot lemony artichoke and spinach dip

Serves 4

This is a nice departure from the usual hummus. The creaminess is the result of a terrific cashewtofu combo, which sounds odd but totally works. The nutritional yeast is not crucial; it adds a certain ‘cheesiness’ that some people adore, but it’s not the deciding factor in the success of the dip. — 200g cashew nuts, soaked

and drained

— ½ tsp sea-salt flakes — grated zest and juice of

1 lemon

— 150g silken tofu

— 3 tbsp nutritional yeast

(optional)

— ½ tbsp Dijon mustard

— ½ tbsp olive oil

— 150g baby-leaf spinach — 150g pre-cooked

artichokes Preheat the oven to 240C/ gas mark 9.

Place the cashews in a blender with 150ml water, the sea-salt flakes, half a teaspoon of black pepper and half the lemon juice. Blend until smooth before adding the tofu, yeast (if using) and mustard. Season and blend on a high speed for 5-7 minutes, until completely smooth and pourable, scraping down the sides of the blender from time to time as you go.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a low-medium heat, add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until gently wilted. Transfer to a blender together with the artichokes and lemon zest, season and pulse to combine. Pour in 250ml of the cashew and tofu cream, along with the remaining lemon juice, season generously and pulse until the mixture just comes together but still retains some texture. (Any leftover cashew and tofu cream will last for a week in the fridge, and can be used in pasta sauces, soups or layered in lasagne, or as a topping for nachos.)

Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, until browned, then remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before serving. It’s great with crudités.