Kale and Artichoke Guacamole

Hey, hey everyone, welcome to the start of a new week – I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Our weekend was a good mix of play, and GSD. We spent the majority of Saturday outside, hitting up the Farmers’ Market before bailing because it was so crowded, to find every fountain within a 1 mile radius (Lincoln is obsessed.)

(His happy place. ❤️?)

We spent the evening at a good friend’s house, enjoying the backyard and letting the kids run around!

It rained most of Sunday morning so Ben and his handyman helper Lincoln moved furniture around upstairs to create a new guest bedroom where the office used to be, and the new baby’s room where the guest room used to be – which will be tenant occupied in just three months!!!

While the boys were busy upstairs I did a little online shopping downstairs – because a rainy day + hot coffee + getting great deals in your PJs sounds like the ideal Sunday, right? I picked up new pillows for the guest room, these stools for the kitchen counter, attempted to snag this light for above the kitchen table which was ixnayed by Ben (“It looks like a paper bag.“) and made an appointment with Zerorez to clean our carpets.

Nesting much!? #thestruggleisreal

I also carved out some time to stuff my face with one of the best dips I have ever had – Kale and Artichoke Guacamole! Oh yes, take everything you love about guacamole AND spinach and artichoke dip, ditching the heavy cream-cheese and cheese portion, then mash them together to create a healthy, superfood-filled dip recipe that’s perfect for any occasion!

This dip is totally versatile. To me it’s got that crunchy California vibe – super healthy and fresh, both gluten-free and vegan – but it’s also got heft from the addition of chopped artichoke hearts. I can see this dip being a hit being served by the pool or during summer cocktail hour with a frosty beverage, though I don’t know about you, but I’ve been bitten by the college football bug already and can’t unsee myself enjoying a big bowl of this dip parked in front of a Hawkeye game – wooot!

One thing that might be jumping out at you is the kale/spinach swap. Raw spinach in guacamole didn’t sound very appetizing to me, and cooked spinach is really watery, but sauteed kale stands up super well to thick and hearty guacamole. Add fresh garlic, zingy lemon juice, and plenty of salt, and you’ve got yourself once heck of an easy and delicious, original dip recipe!

Start by adding 2 cups packed chopped curly kale to 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Season with salt then saute until the kale is tender but still has a little bite, 4-5 minutes. Once the kale is cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board then chop into fine pieces (they don’t have to be minced like fresh herbs or anything, just make sure the pieces are small enough to fit on a chip!)

Next add 2 large avocados, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 garlic clove that’s been pressed/microplaned/minced, and salt to a large bowl then mash until very smooth. My avocados were a little harder than I wanted them to be when I made this dip for pictures, so I transferred them to a food processor and processed until they were really smooth.

Last step is to fold in the chopped kale plus half a 14oz can artichoke hearts that have been chopped (freeze the other half for another batch of dip,) then taste and add more salt and/or fresh lemon juice if necessary. Transfer the Spinach and Artichoke Guacamole to a serving bowl and start dipping!

Oh, for a fun (and tasty!) presentation I fried ~1/2 cup finely chopped kale to sprinkle on top. This stuff tastes and has the texture as potato chips. YES. Heat a generous layer of extra virgin olive oil in the same skillet you sauteed the kale in earlier over medium-high heat, then add the kale and fry for 60-90 seconds, stirring often (have a splatter shield handy because it will spit.) Transfer the kale to a paper towel-lined plate to drain then sprinkle with salt while it’s still hot. THE BEST. Hope you guys love this yummy dip recipe!

Kale and Artichoke Guacamole

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dairy freegluten freeveganvegetarian20 minute meal

Description

Kale and Artichoke Guacamole is full of superfoods like kale and avocado. A healthy, gluten-free, vegan dip recipe for any occasion!

Ingredients

serves 4-6

• 2 cups packed chopped curly kale
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 2 large avocados
• 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic, pressed, microplaned or minced
• half a 14oz can artichoke hearts, chopped (freeze other half)
• Dippers: tortilla chips, vegetables, crackers, etc.

Directions

1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat then add kale, season with salt, and saute until tender, 4-5 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, transfer kale to a cutting board then chop into small pieces and set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine avocados, the juice from 1/2 lemon, garlic, and salt then mash until very smooth (alternatively you could process in a food processor then transfer to a large bowl.) Fold in chopped kale and artichoke hearts then taste and add more salt and/or lemon juice if needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Top with fried kale for a fun presentation. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to generously coat the bottom of a medium-sized skillet then heat over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped kale then saute until kale has turned dark green and the edges feel crispy, 1 - 1-1/2 minutes, stirring frequently. Oil will splatter so have a splatter shield handy, and the exhaust fan on. Transfer kale to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, sprinkle with salt, then sprinkle on top of guacamole.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.