Easy Spinach Jicama Dip – make it creamy with yogurt and sour cream, and crunchy with chopped Jicama and sunflower seeds. With the fresh green spinach and tiny flecks of orange carrot, it’s colorful too, and Yess…! It’s finger-licking good with fresh bread, toast, crackers…..
Who doesn’t like a good dip? When you’re chatting with friends, sitting around a bowl of yummy dip, surrounded with crackers, pita chips, fresh and crusty baguette slices…. Is it any surprise that the bowl seems to empty in no time at all?!
What kind of dip do you like best? The easy kind, I’m guessing…. Well, I suppose store-bought would fit that description nicely, but what if you want something different? How about an easy, no-fuss recipe instead… ready in a jiffy… and one that will Wow your friends too?
The Spinach Jicama dip I’ve shared here might be one to try if you’re looking for something easy and delicious… Best of all, it’s also super-nutritious and NOT loaded with fat!
Happy Gut… Spinach, Jicama and Carrots, In A Yogurt-based Dip
Healthy veggies in a probiotic yogurt base…. this spinach dip with jicama for crunch, carrots for color and seasonings for flavor, wins on all fronts. Can’t find Jicama where you live? Use water chestnuts instead – fresh, or canned… both are OK. Although Jicama is a bit sweeter and juicier than water chestnuts, their nutty crunch is actually quite similar.
And… Hey, if you want to make a whole meal of it, sure… go ahead! I do that sometimes… Just slather it on top of bread, or stuff it into a pita pocket, and eat up! It will certainly leave you feeling satiated and happy for hours. Plus, your gut will not complain at all… it won’t reproach you for mistreating it with rich, hard-to-digest foods!
In fact, this dip has the best combination of ingredients that actually make your gut happy – probiotics (yogurt and sour cream) and prebiotics (jicama). Both support your gut health in different ways, and…. When your gut is happy… So are you!
Home-made Yogurt – Probiotic, without a doubt!
When I was growing up, making fresh yogurt at home, every single day, was the norm in most Indian homes, but, of course, times-are-a-changing…. During my recent visits to India, I’ve noticed that a lot of folks seem to prefer just picking it up at the store and think that it’s too much work to make it at home. I beg to differ…. it’s really not much work at all, and the taste and texture of home-made yogurt…. incomparable!
Also, home-made yogurt is, without a doubt, probiotic… after all, it’s actually the live bacterial culture that turns the liquid milk into the solid yogurt! And to my palate, at least, it tastes better than any store-bought yogurt I’ve sampled. I haven’t yet posted how I make yogurt at home, but I’m working on it…
Given our busy modern lifestyles, is it any wonder that we reach for “ready-made” things? Even one less thing that we need to make ourselves seems like a blessing. When it comes to store-bought yogurt, though, I draw the line… I just need my home-made yogurt!
Looking for More yogurt based dips/chutneys?
Do you like yogurt-based recipes? You know, savory ones… Chutneys… Dips… Raithas… Perhaps you’d like to try some of these quick-fix and tasty dips too…
- Creamy Corn Dip
- Peanut Yogurt Chutney
- Mint Raitha with Carrots
- Roasted Poblano with Yogurt
- Radish Greens and Yogurt
I make most of these items quite frequently, precisely because they are so easy, tasty and healthy. Also, some of these can be served as part of a meal, not simply as a dip for snacking. I hope you make them… and enjoy them as much as I do.
If you do, please do leave reviews and star ratings. I’d love to hear from you… your feedback is welcome and much appreciated.
Special Diets
This tasty Spinach Jicama dip is vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. To make it vegan, use your favorite vegan yogurt and sour cream substitutes. However, to ensure that you retain the probiotic benefits of the recipe, check the labels carefully…. Be aware that not all store-bought yogurt and/or sour cream, dairy-based or vegan, contain active cultures of probiotic bacteria! Of course, if you use home-made yogurt, this particular question doesn’t even come up!
So… How about making this super-easy dip for your next party? The recipe is also, for the most part, quite “kid-friendly”, in a “let kids help you make it” way… A fun way to involve everyone in food prep – how’s that for quality time?!
By the way…. Did you notice the classic red and green holiday colors in my presentation picture? I took the pics when I made it for a holiday party a few weeks ago… The red glass serving bowl with the glowing red base…. and the green spinach in the dip…. Gotta have some simple pleasures, after all!
Do leave a review and star rating… many thanks !
Enjoy!
Easy Spinach Jicama Dip – Make it Creamy and Crunchy
Equipment
- Microwave oven preferred if not available, see Recipe Notes for stove-top cooking directions
- glass/ceramic microwave-safe bowl, if using microwave I do not recommend using a plastic bowl for cooking in the microwave
Ingredients
- 60 g Baby Spinach – chopped – about 1 heaped cup loosely packed after chopping 1 large fistful- about 60-70 g; if frozen chopped spinach OK – about 1/2 cup after thawing
- 1/3 cup Jicama – peeled and finely diced if not available, use water chestnuts – (canned OK)
- 2 tbsp Carrots – finely chopped/minced
- 1/2 cup Yogurt Whole Milk Yogurt, pro-biotic with active cultures preferred; low fat OK – I don't recommend using Fat-Free yogurt for this recipe; for vegan, use your preferred vegan yogurt alternative – look for one with active cultures for pro-biotic benefits
- 2 tbsp Sour cream For vegan – use your preferred vegan alternative
- 1 tsp Olive oil Extra-Virgin Olive Oil preferred; if not available, use another mild-flavored oil instead
- 2 tbsp Sunflower seeds – raw or lightly toasted if not available, use some other coarsely chopped nuts – walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc.; mixed nuts OK too; for nut-free, use coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp Parmesan cheese- grated (powder-like) for vegan: use nutritional yeast or other Parmesan alternative to give a bit of cheesy flavor
- 1 tsp Capers (in brine) Omit if not available: you may need to add a bit of salt at the end if you omit Capers; if you like, you can use 1 tsp chopped dill-pickled cucumber (dill-cucumber relish – not the sweet kind!) instead of Capers
- 1 tsp Dried Basil fresh basil OK – about 7-8 leaves, finely chopped; if not available, use 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning instead – don't use too much – it can get overpowering!
- 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard if not available, use any other prepared mustard, or use 1/4 tsp mustard powder, mixed with 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Red Chilli paste – Sambal Oelek preferred add up to 1/4 tsp more chilli paste if you want it to be more spicy; if not available, use 1/4 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce; or use a mixture of 1/8 tsp cayenne (red chilli powder) with 1/2 tsp vinegar (any kind)
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper – freshly crushed preferred
- 2 tsp Lime/Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed preferred if not available, bottled juice OK
- 1/8 tsp Salt (add only if needed) add only if needed – at the end, after taste-testing prepared dip – several ingredients have salt added in, so you may not need to add any salt at all
Instructions
Prep the Vegetables
- Trim spinach; wash thoroughly to remove grit and sand. Drain in colander and spread on a kitchen towel for a few min to dry a little.
- Chop the spinach.
- Transfer to a microwave-safe glass/ceramic bowl. and microwave for 2 min on hi.Set aside to cool to room temp.Note:To cook on stove-top: Heat 2-3 tbsp water in a medium frying pan (10 in/25 cm); when it begins to boil ( about 1-2 min), add the chopped spinach, cover and cook for 2 minutes; remove cover and set aside to cool, away from the hot stove.
- Meanwhile, rinse and mince the carrots: I like using an electric/manual chopper; if not available, mince finely with a knife.
- Microwave in a glass/ceramic bowl for 2 min on Hi, then said aside to cool.Note:To cook on stove-top: Heat 1 tbsp water in a medium frying pan (10 in/25 cm); when it begins to boil (about 1 min), add the chopped carrots, cover and cook for 2 minutes; remove cover and set aside to cool, away from the hot stove.
- While carrots are cooking, peel, slice and finely dice the Jicama.
- Set aside while you prepare the creamy base for the dip.
Make the creamy base for the dip
- Measure the yogurt and sour cream into a small-medium mixing bowl (2-3 cups capacity).
- Whisk till smooth and creamy.
- Stir in mustard, Sambal Oelek, freshly crushed black pepper, dried basil. and garlic (if using).
Prepare the Dip
- Add the sunflower seeds, grated Parmesan cheese, capers and carrots; stir gently to mix well.
- Add the cooked spinach and stir to mix.
- Add the chopped Jicama and stir gently.
Serve
- Serve with slices of fresh bread, pita wedges or your favorite crackers. (Can make ahead about 5-6 hours.)
- Enjoy!
Notes
Storing Leftovers:
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a glass/ceramic lidded container. I do not recommend using a plastic container.- Consume within 2-3 days
Will try this for sure. Never thought of using jicama this way. Thanks
I think you will love it! 🙂