Vegan Spinach Yogurt Dip (Dairy-Free Ispanak Borani)

This easy and delicious Spinach Yogurt Dip with a seasonal twist is quick to make, healthy, and just perfect for dipping. Thick yogurt is mixed with blanched spinach and wild garlic, a little lemon juice and olive oil, that’s it. However the result tastes so special!

This Spinach Yogurt Dip is my spring version of the beloved Turkish dish Ispanak Borani. I first came across this delicious dip when I just started university. There was this awesome Turkish restaurant in Budapest that served all kind of delicious side dishes, salads, and dips. It was like heaven to me. I was the only vegetarian in my friend group, so I usually ended up with very limited food options. Oh, but not in that restaurant! Sometimes I almost felt like I have too many options, hahaha.

So naturally I always suggested that we should go to this place. Which means I have lots of sweet memories from there. And from this dip. So once I moved to Germany and had to say goodbye to this wonderful restuarant, I started to make this recipe more and more often. Partially to bring back those good memories, and partially because this dip is just ridiculously delicious.

What’s great about this Spinach Yogurt Dip is that you can serve it in so many different ways. It’s perfect for dipping pita chips, carrot sticks, fresh bread, or crackers. It makes also a delicious bread spread or sauce for your fries. And you can serve it as a side salad. It’s especially delicious with other Turkish mezes and salads, or veggie döner or baked tofu.

Spinach Yogurt Dip is…

• vegan and vegetarian
• naturally gluten-free
• quick and easy to make
• made with only a handful of ingredients
• delicious
• healthy
• refreshing
• perfect for dipping
• also great as a side dish

How to make Spinach Yogurt Dip

Start by blanching the spinach and wild garlic briefly in boiling water, just until wilted. Immediately transfer them to ice water to keep the bright green color, then drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This step is important, because removing excess moisture will keep the dip thick and creamy instead of watery.

Chop the greens as finely or roughly as you like, depending on whether you want a smooth dip or something more textured. In a bowl, mix the yogurt with olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper. If your yogurt isn’t thick enough, you can easily strain it yourself. Simply place it in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth over a sieve and let it drain for 30-60 minutes, or until it reaches a thicker, Greek-style consistency.

Fold the chopped greens into the yogurt mixture and taste. Adjust with more lemon juice, salt, or garlic if needed. You can serve it right away, but it’s even better after chilling for a bit so the flavors can blend.

How to serve Spinach Yogurt Dip

This dip is perfect with warm pita bread, pita chips, crackers, or fresh vegetables like carrots and cucumbers. It’s refreshing, creamy, flavorful and just perfect for sharing.

It also works lovely as part of a meze-style spread alongside olives, hummus, roasted vegetables, or stuffed grape leaves. Serve it with veggie döner, baked tofu, or grilled vegetables for a complete meal.

You can even use it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps, or as a cooling sauce for fries and roasted potatoes.

Customize it the way you like it!

• You can use unsweetened soy, coconut or oat yogurt for this recipe. Choose a thick and creamy yogurt for the best result. If you can’t find a Greek style yogurt, you can also make your regular yogurt a bit thicker by straining it

• Use more wild garlic here, or omit it completely. In that case make sure to use extra garlic

• Chop the spinach extra fine for a dip, or leave it in bigger chunks for extra texture (especially good as a salad then)

• Taste and spice your yogurt however you like it. Add more lemon juice (or vinegar), or add extra nutritional yeast for a cheesier taste. And feel free to add extra olive oil, if you like it

• Add extras like pine nuts, chopped walnuts, and fresh herbs. A drizzle of chili oil on top is also great.

More delicious dips to try:

• White Bean Almond Dip
• Loaded Olive Oil Dip
• Skordalia – Greek Potato & Garlic Dip
• Vegan Hungarian Cheese Spread
• Sunflower Seed Sour Cream
• Roasted Carrot Dip
• Vegan Zucchini Pesto
• Simple Red Lentil Spread
• Vegan Joppie Sauce
• Apple & Onion Spread

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