spinach-avocado dip with scallions

serrano chiles • parsley makes about 2 cups This dish happened by accident. The morning after one of my family’s “taco nights,” I made a quick-and-dirty lunch, warming beans, frying tortillas, and steaming baby spinach. I topped my tacos with guacamole that my wife had made with scallions, since we were out of onions. It was good! I thought, Let’s double down on the East Asian flavor profile—since scallions are one of the most important fresh ingredients in Chinese cooking—and added shoyu for saltiness and rice vinegar for acid. In this recipe, I actually skip the shoyu to ensure that the dip is bright in color. Plus seasoned rice vinegar gives this dip a complex flavor and makes adding shoyu for saltiness largely unnecessary. While similar to guacamole in spirit, the texture of this recipe is smooth after whipping it in a food processor. This allows it to easily pivot from dip to sandwich spread. In fact, I used it to make toast for a collaboration with Williams-Sonoma, smearing it on country bread and topping it with daikon, scallions, gomasio (a Japanese condiment made of unhulled sesame seeds and salt), Aleppo pepper, and borage flowers.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

In a medium skillet, combine the avocado oil and garlic and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic smells fragrant and just starts to turn golden, 3 to 5 minutes. In stages, fill the pan with spinach, stirring to facilitate wilting, and cook until all the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and transfer the spinach mixture to a food processor. Process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary. Scrape the spinach puree into a medium bowl and set aside.

Step 2

Return the bowl and blade to the food processor. Add the avocados and vinegar and process until smooth. Scrape the avocado into the bowl with the spinach mixture and season with salt to taste. Fold in the scallions, parsley, and serrano. Taste and add just enough lemon juice to brighten up the dip, then serve.

Step 3

“On Green Dolphin Street” by Miles Davis from Kind of Blue