From My Bowl

0 Clean the Leek: Chop off the root and upper dark green portion of the leek, then cut each leek in half lengthwise. Clean thoroughly under running cold water, making sure to inspect all layers for dirt. Dice the leek into small pieces.
1 Sauté Aromatics: Warm the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the leek and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large glass bowl. Add the drained spinach and water chestnuts and stir into the mixture; set aside to let cool.
2 Blend: Transfer the vegan cream cheese, silken tofu, tomato paste, and salt to a food processor or blender with a tamper. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the device with a spatula as necessary.
3 Combine: Transfer the blended cream cheese mixture to the bowl and mix well, until evenly combined with the veggies. Serve Chilled: Let the spinach dip chill in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes before serving as desired.
4 *Optional* Serve Warm: Return the spinach dip to the pan and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fully heated. Serve in the pan, or transfer to a different serving dish.
5 Storage: Vegan Spinach Dip can be made up to 2 days in advance; store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.