Lenexa's World Famous Spinach Dip
Submitted by betty.riordan
Cold spinach dip loaded with crunchy water chestnuts and scallions in a creamy mayo-and-sour-cream base. The retro party classic, served in a hollowed rye bread bowl with chips for scooping.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
0 minREADY
3 hrsNo oven required here, just a bowl and a little patience. This is the cold, creamy spinach dip that turns up at every retro potluck, built on a dry vegetable soup mix that handles all the seasoning for you.
The one step you cannot rush: squeeze the thawed spinach truly dry. Skip it and the mayonnaise and tangy sour cream base turns watery and sad. Chopped water chestnuts fold in for that signature snap against the creamy body.
A three-hour chill is what melds the flavors and firms the dip enough to scoop. Hollow out a round rye loaf, pile the dip inside, and tear the bread into dippers. This one comes from a 1987 Kansas City cookbook, courtesy of the mayor of Lenexa.
Kitchen Tips
- Wring the spinach in a clean towel until almost no liquid drips out; this is the difference between a thick dip and a runny one.
- Make it the day before. The flavor deepens and the texture sets the longer it chills.
- Keep the water chestnuts coarsely chopped so they stay crunchy instead of disappearing into the dip.
Variations
- Stir in a can of chopped artichoke hearts for a spinach-artichoke twist.
- Add a handful of shredded Parmesan or a dash of hot sauce for more punch.
- Serve with crackers or raw vegetables if you would rather skip the bread bowl.
Ingredients
Directions
Thaw uncooked spinach and squeeze out excess liquid.
Combine all ingredients. Chill 3 hours.
Serve with corn chips, crackers or fill hollowed out, unsliced, loaf of rye bread with the dip and use bread for dipping.
May use ½ cup more of mayo and sour cream.
Rich Becker Mayor of Lenexa, Kansas 1987 Jones Store Seasonal Recipes of Local Kansas City Personalities
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