Creamy Peppadew and artichoke dip

Since my first two Peppadew recipes have been full meals, I thought I’d strip things back today and share a really easy recipe. Really, really easy, in fact. This creamy Peppadew and artichoke dip involves throwing a few ingredients in a food processor, and hitting the button. That’s it.

The ingredients are simple: artichokes, garlic, Peppadews (hot or mild, depending on your preference!), some fresh parsley, and some cream cheese to hold everything together. A squeeze of lemon juice and a good pinch of salt and pepper finishes everything off perfectly. This Peppadew and artichoke dip really is irresistible.

I found some tins of artichokes in the shops ages ago, and grabbed a few because I knew I just had to have them despite having no idea what I’d make (anyone else do that?), and I’m so glad I did – they were perfect for this dip. If you can only find the kind that come in oil, those would be great too, but I did like the fact that the tinned artichokes (which just come in water) added lots of flavour without making the dip feel too oily. Totally justifies adding a load of cream cheese afterwards… right?

Unfortunately I’ve not managed to find the tinned kind again since, so may have to use the marinated ones next time.

This creamy Peppadew and artichoke dip would be the perfect snack for a Christmas party – it’s easy to make, but it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. If you want to keep things light, serve it with some sticks of raw veggies, or go for crackers or pretzels instead. Whatever you go for, make sure you offer your guests something for dipping, or I can’t guarantee they won’t just use a spoon instead.

By the way, have you ever wondered what the plastic cage at the top of a jar of Peppadews is for? It serves a few purposes – not only does it make it really easy to drain the jar, it also helps to keep the peppers in place during transit, meaning they arrive in one piece. I think that’s pretty clever! You know something’s good when that much care is taken over it!

Remember to head over to the Peppadew website to claim your discount coupon to use on your next purchase.

Note:
Peppadew Mild and Hot are available at Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, Ocado, Wholefoods and Booths.
Cheese Stuffed Peppadews are available at Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Wholefoods and Booths.
Roasted Red Peppers are available at Co-op and Waitrose.

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Creamy Peppadew and artichoke dip

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

Servings: 5

Ingredients

• 60 g drained peppadew piquante peppers (1/3 of a 400g jar, or ~ 2/3 cup)
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled
• 400 g tin of artichoke hearts, drained (240g when drained, or 8 hearts)
• Small bunch fresh parsley
• 400 g cream cheese (~ 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Black pepper
• Salt

Instructions

• Add the drained peppadews, peeled garlic, artichoke hearts and fresh parsley to a food processor, and blitz. Don’t worry too much about scraping down the sides at this point - it’s nice to leave a bit of texture.
• Add the cream cheese, lemon juice and a generous amount of black pepper, and blitz again until well combined. Salt to taste, and serve chilled with crackers or raw vegetables for dipping.

Course: Appetiser

Author: Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.

If you’d prefer a slightly lighter dip for the Christmas season, my healthy spinach dip might be the thing for you: