Spicy Artichoke Heart Dip

Office potlucks: Do you cringe or relish? I do both. Most people bring store-bought treats to these shindigs, which is where the cringing comes in (I will typically pass by these treats). But I relish that I can try new recipes! I don’t often make appetizers such as dips. It takes me a while to go through 2 cups of dip, so I usually reserve appetizers for special occasions.

Whereas most artichoke heart dips are loaded with cheese/mayo/cream, I was eager to try this spicy artichoke heart dip from ExtraVeganZa since it was packed with artichoke hearts and garlic instead of all that extra stuff.

The ingredient list is actually quite short – artichoke hearts, olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, salt and lemon juice – and with a long simmer on the stovetop, a silky, sublime dip is created. It is addictively good. The artichokes and garlic blend into one with a little zip from the chili flakes. Served with peppery crackers and pita slices, this was a tasty dip. A co-worker commented, “You can actually taste the artichokes! Yum!”.

I adapted the original recipe from ExtraVeganZa only slightly by decreasing the amount of chili flakes. Oddly enough, I found it mellowed and was less spicy the longer it sat in my fridge. If you want more heat, this dip can take more chili flakes.  With the small amount of Aleppo chili flakes, it still had a slight zing, which is probably best when serving to large crowds. The oil seemed to separate after sitting at room temperature, but it didn’t taste too oily.  I used 5 tbsp of olive oil, but I think this could be decreased to 4 tbsp.

I will confess that I didn’t bring all the dip to work, and while I also planned to use it as a spread for sandwiches/wraps, I ended up just eating it as a snack.

This is my submission to this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by me this week!

Spicy Artichoke Heart Dip (or Spread)

2-14 oz cans of plain artichoke hearts, drained
1 bulb of garlic (ie. 10-14 cloves of garlic), peeled
1/4 tsp Aleppo chili flakes (or to taste – I found this gave a mild zing)
4-5 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (half a lemon)

1. Combine the artichoke hearts, peeled garlic, chili flakes, olive oil and salt in a small saucepan.  Cover and simmer on low for one hour.

2. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice. Use an immersion blender to blend to your desired consistency.

3. Serve warm or chilled with crackers, bread, vegetables, etc.

Serves 4-6.