I was going through my pantry the other day and came across an entire jar of peanuts. I tend to do this. There's a whole hoard of nuts in my closet that I've just been carrying around for ages! And I'm determined to actually use all of them. Because nuts don't actually last forever and it's ludicrous to hoard them. Especially since nuts aren't actually that inexpensive of an ingredient. I can't even remember buying this jar of peanuts. It's not in the original container and I am beginning to suspect that they're the remnants of a 25 pound bag of nuts that I bought in bulk... I don't even know how many years ago! But, I have stored them properly and they are still good. So, I am absolutely going to use all of them now. Hence, the Spinach Avocado Dip.
Last month I made Potluck Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt & Peanuts. They were absolutely delicious and now I'm obsessed! The slight grittiness of the hull still on the nuts just gives them a consistency that I can't get over. It's almost creamy in a way that nuts don't ordinarily come in outside of peanut butter. And that's essentially what I'm doing here: I'm creating adult peanut butter with avocados and serranos. Really, this kind of avocado dip is a cross between guacamole and hummus. It's one of my favorite substitutes for sour cream as well. I put it on everything from burritos to omelettes and everything in between.
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Variations of Spinach Avocado Dip
I'm not one to shy away from adding anything and everything into a food processor. I'm constantly adding in different kinds of nuts, peppers, fruits, and various vegetables and other produce. These kinds of avocado dips are some of my favorite things to eat and I'll likely never go back to eating plain sour cream again! I highly recommend it in any way, shape, or form and definitely have a plethora of recipes to experiment with.
This Spinach Avocado Dip consists of avocados, garlic, fresh limes, serranos, spinach, peanuts, and olive oil. It takes no time at all to toss everything into a food processor and voila! A simple and delicious dip. It's vaguely a cross between guacamole and hummus, but takes a fraction of the time to put together and lasts quite a bit longer than either.
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Process for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides occasionally.It may help to purée the spinach and avocados first and then start adding in the other ingredients. Unless you have a much larger food processor than I do, it will not all fit without puréeing a little bit first!
Serve chilled. It's perfectly fine at room temperature and can be served immediately in a pinch. Although I would recommend refrigerating for about an hour.Avocado dip is also a great meal to make ahead of time and keeps without discoloration for about a week. Garlic, lime juice, salt, and olive oil all serve as natural preservatives. So, while avocados tend to go bad rather quickly, the natural browning and spoiling process is vastly reduced in this recipe. It keeps incredibly well.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
Whole, unroasted peanuts oftentimes still come with the hull attached. For a smoother consistency, you can remove these before puréeing! Although I don't like hulling nuts. It's a rather tedious process that I ordinarily just skip. Alternatively, you could opt for a more powerful food processor. A Vitamix or something similarly industrial food processor would likely purée the dip more completely. For myself, I don't mind this consistency. But there are options if you're looking to elevate it a little bit.
For more tips and tricks for what avocado is, how to make it, and what other ingredients are fun to play around with, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Avocado & Greek Yogurt Dip. It's essentially a mix between hummus and guacamole, but is easier to make, lasts longer, and goes with a wider variety of dishes. It's one of my favorite things to make for potlucks or just on a lazy summer day.
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