Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe

Savvy cooks have been relying on a pantry staple— Knorr vegetable mix— as a seasoning for spinach dip for years. Even though it’s actually a soup mix, there’s a picture right on the small, yellow packet of what it’s really loved for: spinach dip.

When mixed with mayonnaise, sour cream, spinach, and chopped water chestnuts, it turns into a cold spinach dip that’s so good, it’s hard not to just eat it with a spoon, right out of the mixing bowl.

Serve it with crackers, chunks of bread, and a whole bunch of veggies, depending on the group. Just make sure you have a backup supply, because spinach dip this delicious has a way of disappearing, bread bowl and all.

Making extra Knorr Spinach Dip for an open house? Just click and slide the number next to “servings” on the recipe card below to adjust the ingredients to match how many you’re feeding—the recipe does the math for you, it’s that easy.

Knorr Spinach Dip ingredients:

• Sour cream. Feel free to lighten it up with low- or no-fat sour cream, too.
• Mayonnaise. Use good mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s or Best Foods brand. For a low-calorie spinach dip, some cooks prefer to sub out Greek yogurt for the mayo. That’s up to you—but it works great.
• Water chestnuts. In case you're wondering, water chestnuts aren’t really nuts. They’re a crunchy, aquatic vegetable that grows under water. You can find water chestnuts in almost any well-stocked grocery store. Look in the international aisle or the Asian foods section, as they’re often added to stir-frys.
• Scallions.
• Knorr vegetable mix. This used to be labeled “soup mix” but Knorr changes their packaging every once in awhile. By the way, the Leek Soup mix can also be used for this dip. (I love Knorr much more than Lipton brand, by the way.)
• Frozen chopped spinach. Ordinarily sold in little, brick-shaped packages in the frozen foods section. If you can’t find chopped, go ahead and buy whole frozen spinach and chop it up by hand. You can also use fresh spinach—instructions below.
  

Optional ingredients:

• Fresh spinach.
• Artichokes. Artichoke spinach dip is hard to beat. Add one can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, to the recipe.
• Baby shrimp. 1 to 2 cups of baby shrimp, cooked and shelled, make an already great dip even better.
• Shredded cheddar cheese.
• Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated, or the stuff in the green can; a little cheese gives an umami punch.
• Greek yogurt. A good, thick Greek yogurt lightens things up if you’re looking for a healthy spinach dip.

Is Knorr dip gluten-free?

Alas, no. There is a small amount of barley in the mix.

How to make cold Knorr Spinach Dip:

For best results, make this spreadable, edible spinach dip at least 2 hours in advance, to give the dried mix time to hydrate and the flavors a chance to meld. You can make this dip the night before, no problem, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

1. First, in a bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, water chestnuts, scallions, and Knorr mix.
   
2. Next, stir in the chopped spinach. Break up any stubborn clumps of spinach with a wooden spoon as you mix.
   
3. Then cover the bowl and chill for 2 hours, up to overnight. Easiest thing ever.

Making the dip with fresh spinach:

Got a giant bag of baby spinach? By all means, use it, but cook it down a bit first. To substitute fresh spinach for the frozen spinach, use a pound of fresh spinach leaves for every 10-ounce package of frozen that you need.

• On the stove. First, wilt down the fresh spinach in a large dry pan over the stove with a few tablespoons of water, then let it cool and squeeze the extra water out with a clean kitchen towel.
• In the microwave. Place the spinach and a couple tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl, cover tightly, and microwave until the spinach just starts to wilt—30 seconds to 2 minutes. Then squeeze the wilted greens dry in a clean kitchen towel.

How to make hot Knorr Spinach Dip:

Unlike the chilled version, this delicious spinach dip uses cream cheese and a few other ingredients. However, it bakes up like a dream and everyone pretty much inhales it the moment you set it down.

You need:

• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
• 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened
• 1 package Knorr vegetable mix
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, or Swiss) divided
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the Parmesan cheese. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish, and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake the spinach dip at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the dip is piping hot. Serve immediately.

Serving spinach dip:

Bread bowl. Usually people serve this famous spinach dip by spooning it into a scooped-out loaf of bread. Slice off the top of a round, rustic loaf of bread (pumpernickel, sourdough, country white) and hollow it out.  Also, hold onto the lid and the inner bread chunks.

Then fill the hollowed bread shell with chilled dip and serve with the bread, cut into chunks, and maybe toasted with garlic butter. Additionally, you can even brush the loaf with warm garlic butter, to make things even more tantalizing.

• Crostini. Of course, you don’t need the bread bowl. Use your prettiest dish and make some toasted baguette slices.
• Crudités. Cold carrot chips, icy stalks of celery, crisp Romaine spears, or chilly cucumber slices.
• Pinwheels. Add a generous schmear of cold spinach dip to flatbread or tortillas and roll them up. Come to think of it, it might make a fantastic addition to this recipe for Costco’s Turkey Roll Ups.
• Crackers. Raid your pantry for the most interesting crackers and crisp breads you can find.
• Baked potatoes. When you're down to the leftovers, spinach dip makes an excellent topping on hot baked potatoes. Sweet potatoes, too!
  

Can you freeze Knorr Spinach Dip?

Unfortunately, I don’t think this dip would freeze very well. The mayonnaise and the sour cream would separate and get watery when thawed.

The good news, though, is that the dip lasts 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator when properly stored. That gives you plenty of time!

5 from 20 votes

Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe

This Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe is the classic version you know and love! Cold and creamy, it's so easy to make and tastes even better than you remember. 

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword dip, spinach

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 151kcal

• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts drained and chopped
• 3 scallions thinly sliced
• 1 (1.4 ounce) packet Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach cooked and squeezed dry
• Bread chunks and fresh vegetables for serving

US Customary - Metric

• In a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, water chestnuts, scallions, and Knorr mix. Stir to combine. 
• Stir in spinach, using a spoon or spatula to break up and distribute any clumps of spinach. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with bread and fresh vegetables.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Knorr.

To substitute fresh spinach for the frozen, use a pound of fresh spinach leaves. Steam in a large dry skillet with 1/4 cup water and toss until wilted. Squeeze dry in a clean kitchen towel and proceed with the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal