Homemade Spinach (or Chard) Dip

This is a very popular recipe, which I am re-posting here as a Family Favorite, even though it's not liked by all the kids. I recently discovered that it can also be made with fresh chard from the garden, in place of spinach, if desired.

In 2011 I wrote:

Like a lot of people, I love the spinach dip that is made with an envelope of Knorr vegetable soup mix. But a few weeks ago I wasn't surprised, in checking the ingredients, to find monosodium glutamate listed (and not at the end). So, last week I determined to find a recipe to make it from scratch and see how it turned out. It didn't taste exactly like the Knorr mix variety (though the inclusion of MSG I consider cheating; who knows what it really tastes like), but it was quite tasty and we enjoyed it on raw vegetables, tortilla chips, and crackers. (I found the recipe at vivianskvetch.blogspot.com and then made a few modifications.)

SPINACH DIP FROM SCRATCH

1 c. sour cream
10 oz. spinach
1 c. mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced or put through press
1/4 c. onion, finely chopped
1 c. red bell pepper, chopped
4 oz. water chestnuts, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste (I thought it needed at least double this amount)
Freshly-ground pepper to taste
dill weed, to taste
garlic salt, to taste

If you are using fresh spinach, tear off stems (unless it's baby spinach, in which case you can get away with leaving the stems on). Wash and leave some of the water on. Cook until wilted--a couple of minutes on stovetop. If you're using frozen spinach, thaw. Either way, squeeze out excess water and chop. (If using chard, wash, dice, and cook till soft, then cool.)

Mix sour cream and mayonnaise together in bowl. Add garlic, onion, red pepper, water chestnuts, and spices and mix well. Blend spinach into mixture. Chill for a couple of hours.

If you are using a bread bowl, prepare it just before serving so bread won't get soggy. Slice the top off and cut or scoop out inside, leaving walls of reasonable thickness, at least an inch or so. Spoon dip into hollowed-out bread. Cut up leftover bread (from the top and inside) to use for dipping.

If you're not using a bread bowl, serve dip in ordinary bowl with your choice of raw veggies, crackers, tortilla chips, etc.