Classic Spinach Dip in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
A creamy, cold spinach dip with crunchy water chestnuts, scallions and a savory vegetable soup mix base, served in a hollowed sourdough bread bowl and surrounded by bread cubes for dipping. It's an easy party classic that gets better after a night in the fridge.
- Prep
- 34 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 4 hr
- Total
- 4 hr 34 min
- Makes
- About 3½ cups dip (10 appetizer servings) in 1 bread bowl
Steps
Before you start
- Thaw the frozen spinach completely: overnight in the fridge, or in a bowl of cool water for about 30 minutes. Do not use warm water or the microwave.
- The dip needs at least 4 hours in the fridge, so the flavors blend and the dried vegetables soften. Overnight is even better.
- Use a round sourdough loaf about 1½ lb (680 g) with a sturdy crust, and a second small loaf or baguette for dipping.
- Check the vegetable soup mix: use a 1.4 oz (40 g) packet of dry vegetable soup and recipe mix (not a cream-based soup).
Squeeze the spinach
- Place the thawed spinach in the center of a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners and twist over the sink, squeezing hard until almost no liquid drips out.
- Fluff the squeezed spinach with your fingers into a loose, crumbly pile.
- You should have about ¾ cup packed.
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Ready when: Spinach feels like damp crumbs and no water runs out when pressed.
Tip: Wet spinach is the top cause of a runny dip, so keep squeezing even when you think it's dry.
Prep the vegetables
- Drain the water chestnuts, rinse them under cold water and pat dry.
- Chop them into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
- Thinly slice the scallions.
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Ready when: Water chestnut pieces are small and even, about the size of a pea.
Mix the base
- In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, dry soup mix, lemon juice and black pepper with a spatula until completely smooth and no dry soup mix clumps remain.
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Ready when: Base is uniformly speckled with no white streaks.
Fold in the add-ins
- Add the squeezed spinach, water chestnuts and scallions to the base.
- Fold with the spatula for about 1 minute until the spinach is evenly distributed with no clumps.
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Ready when: Green is evenly spread throughout and the dip looks thick and creamy.
Tip: Don't use a mixer, which breaks down the water chestnuts and makes the dip loose.
Chill the dip
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- During this time the dried vegetables in the soup mix soften and the flavors blend.
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Ready when: Dip is thick and the dried vegetable bits are tender, not crunchy, when tasted.
Tip: Taste after chilling and add a little pepper or lemon juice if you'd like more zing.
Cut the bread bowl
- Shortly before serving, place the sourdough loaf on a cutting board.
- With a serrated knife, cut a circle about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in from the edge on top, angling toward the center, and lift off the lid.
- Pull out the soft interior in chunks, leaving a wall about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick on all sides and the bottom.
- Save the lid and the pulled-out bread for dipping.
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Ready when: Bowl is sturdy with walls about 1 inch thick and no holes in the base.
Tip: Don't cut too close to the crust or the bowl may leak.
Cube the dipping bread
- Cut the small loaf and the saved lid into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
- Tear the pulled-out interior into bite-size pieces and add to the cubes.
- Arrange on a platter.
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Ready when: Pieces are bite-size and sturdy enough to scoop.
Tip: Cube the bread up to 2 hours ahead and cover loosely with a towel to keep it from drying out.
Fill and serve
- Stir the chilled dip once to loosen it, then spoon it into the bread bowl, mounding it slightly.
- Set the bowl in the center of the platter surrounded by the bread cubes and serve right away.
- As the dip is eaten, tear off pieces of the bowl to eat too.
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Ready when: Bowl is full and the dip holds its shape on a scoop.
Tip: Fill the bowl just before serving so the crust doesn't soften and leak.
Good to know
Tips
- Squeeze the spinach until it's truly dry; this is the key to a thick dip.
- Use full-fat sour cream and mayonnaise for the best texture; light versions are looser.
- Serve with extras like crisp vegetables, crackers or pita chips for those who don't want bread.
- Make the dip a day ahead for the best flavor.
Make ahead
The dip can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Cut the bread bowl and cubes on the day of serving.
Storage & reheating
Do not leave the dip out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days; stir before serving (no reheating needed, it is served cold). Freezing is not recommended because the mayonnaise and sour cream separate. Store leftover bread cubes in a bag at room temperature for 1 day.
Substitutions
- mayonnaise → more sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. Gives a tangier, lighter dip; use the same total amount.
- dry vegetable soup and recipe mix → 2 tbsp onion flakes, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp salt. Rough stand-in; the dip will taste less savory, so adjust salt to taste.
- canned water chestnuts → finely diced celery or jicama. Keeps the crunch; use the same amount.
- round sourdough loaf → pumpernickel or rye round. Another sturdy loaf that holds the dip well.
