Spinach Pesto w/ Greek Yogurt, Wine, & Gruyère
This gruyère spinach dip is the perfect spinach pesto. It consists of spinach, gruyère, Greek yogurt, white wine, pecans, garlic, and shallots. I make spinach pesto because I'm allergic to basil. Don't get me wrong, it is delicious! And spinach is oftentimes more readily available than fresh basil. It also tasted so closely to actual pesto that I was wary of eating it. Even though I made it and know with 100% certainty that there is no actual basil in this. Although it is nice to know that there is a suitable dupe out there if you're looking for a flavor profile that is incredibly similar. Only homemade. So, obviously better.
Equipment
- Food Processor (optional)
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 3/4 lbs. spinach
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 shallot
- 1 c. Greek yogurt
- 1/4 c. white wine
- dash salt
- dash pepper
- dash smoked paprika
- dash nutmeg
- 5 oz. gruyère (~1 c.)
- 1 c. pecans
Instructions
Mix Ingredients
- Add spinach, garlic, shallots, Greek yogurt, white wine, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, nutmeg, gruyère, and pecans (all of the ingredients, except for the mozzarella) to a food processor.I added these a little bit at a time and pulsed, so as to not completely purée the spinach and pecans, so that there's a little bit of texture. Although this isn't explicitly necessary! The more that you purée the spinach, the more green the dip will be.Alternatively, you can chop the spinach and mix everything by hand, instead of in a food processor. It will not bee nearly as green and more true to spinach dips that you've seen before. Especially those with artichokes in them, which are also lighter in hue. But I am both being slightly lazy doing everything in a food processor. It's also the holiday season and I want everything to be green! So, let's go with calling this festive. Or, at the very least, Grinch themed.
Sautée
- Once the ingredients are combined, transfer the spinach mixture to a skillet.
- Bring to a simmer. Simmer for roughly 20 minutes, or until the dip has thickened.Greek yogurt is MUCH thinner than your typical cream cheese and sour cream variations. Particularly if you purée the spinach and add wine. You can substitute cream cheese and sour cream to skip this step. But I prefer food that tastes like food and not just dessert!