Spinach Dip in Bread Bowl
Creamy spinach and water chestnut dip served in a crusty sourdough bread bowl
- 10 ozfrozen chopped spinach(thawed, squeezed dry)
- 8 ozwater chestnuts(canned, drained and chopped)
- 1 cupsour cream
- 1 cupmayonnaise
- 1 packetvegetable soup mix(Knorr style)
- 3green onions(chopped)
- 1 largeround sourdough loaf(for bread bowl)
- 0.5 tspgarlic powder
- 0.25 tspblack pepper
Dip must be made at least 2 hours ahead and can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cut bread bowl just before serving to prevent drying out.
- 1Squeeze all excess moisture from thawed spinach - this is crucial
- 2Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, and soup mix until well combined
- 3Fold in spinach, water chestnuts, green onions, garlic powder, and pepper
- 4Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight for flavors to develop
- 5Cut top off sourdough loaf and hollow out center, reserving bread pieces
- 6Cut reserved bread into 1-inch cubes for dipping
- 7Fill bread bowl with chilled spinach dip
- 8Arrange bread cubes around bowl for serving
- 9Replenish dip as needed and slice bread bowl for serving when dip is gone
The overnight rest is not optional - the soup mix needs time to hydrate and the flavors need to meld. Squeeze the spinach until completely dry or the dip will be watery. Pumpernickel bread makes an equally delicious alternative to sourdough. The bread bowl itself becomes part of the snack - don't let it go to waste.
This iconic dip became a party staple in the 1970s and 80s after Knorr printed the recipe on their vegetable soup mix packages. The bread bowl presentation elevated it from simple dip to centerpiece status, making it a fixture at Super Bowl parties and tailgates ever since.