Caramelized Onion Dip

Several years ago, a friend introduced me to French onion dip. I'm talking about the kind made with sour cream and onion soup mix. There's also a pre-made dip in the refrigerated section of some grocery stores although I've always preferred the onion soup version myself.

Either way the dip is addictive. I have no idea what  -- if anything -- makes if French, though. Are onions French?

You may be wondering why I would take something so easy to prepare and make it more difficult by making it from scratch. Because I love a good challenge, of course. And because my version doesn't have anything dehydrated or any preservatives in it, which has got to be an improvement.

I made the dip with caramelized onions, which add deliciousness to so many dishes, especially to our vegetarian version of spaghetti carbonara. 

I did something else unusual with this dip. I made it with quark. I don't know if you have ever eaten quark or even heard of it. I hadn't until I saw it in the refrigerated section as Whole Foods recently, and decided if it was a dairy product, I needed to try it. Quark is similar to sour cream, but, at least the version I had from Vermont Creamery, was exceptionally smooth and creamy.

And although it was not my intention to make a lower fat version of a dip that I was going to plunge potato chips into, quark is actually lower in fat and calories than sour cream. (It's nutritional content is similar to light sour cream). I have now made the dip with both sour cream and quark and I actually prefer the quark version.

This dip would be the perfect appetizer to have while watching the Academy Awards this weekend, whether you are watching with company or hunkered down in the comfort of your own home. I hope you  love it.

If you're looking for more ideas for Oscar night nibbles, here are a few others:

Suppli (fried risotto balls stuffed with cheese)
Mom's Cheese Spread (speaking of addictive foods. . . )
Radish Tartines (these would be lovely and delicious as part of the spread)
Edamame Dip (ooh, maybe a trio to serve with chips, crackers or veggies: this, onion dip, and cheese spread)

Caramelized Onion Dip

Makes about 1 1/2 cups
5 minutes preparation time
40 minutes cooking time

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut in half through the top, then cut into slivers
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 8-ounce container quark or sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown. This could take as long as 40 minutes, but you don't need to stir them constantly, so feel free to do something else while they're cooking, like help out with homework, read a story, or whip up some other fabulous dish). If the pan becomes too brown, add a splash of water to loosen any of the caramelized onions that have stuck to the pan.

When the onions have cooked completely, add the vinegar and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to make sure that you loosen any caramelized bits on the pan. Let the onions cool, then chop them coarsely.

In a small bowl, mix together the onions and quark or sour cream and seasonings. Taste and add a bit more salt if needed to balance out the sweetness of the onions. Serve with chips or veggies.

Print Recipe 

Comments

[Beth]

Thank you!
I've been looking for a non-additive dip.
Beth

[Jo Petersen]

This sounds delicious. Will have to give it a try. Also looked at the recipe for the Radish Tartines. My mother always had a huge garden and while at that time radishes weren't my personal favorite we did have Radish "Tartines" in the spring. I still like them especially with copious amounts of butter and with sea salt. Wish I had some radishes now.

[Margy]

Beth, excellent! I hope you like it.
Jo, yes, definitely copious amounts of butter and a good dash of sea salt. So simple but so delicious!

[Nancye]

I made this dip and it was delicious. I did add a bit of garlic (powder) and a splash of worchestire sauce as it was a little sweet at first for me. (and isn't everything a little better with garlic!) Definitely something I will make again and again.

[Nancye]

I keep making this dip- it's so good. One day I was carmelizing a huge batch of onions for French Onion Soup (a winter favorite in our house) and it occured to me, why don't I save some of these onions for a dip. My onions had a bit of thyme and sherry (instead of vinegar) but it worked really well. Thanks so much for this recipe. It's so much better than the powdered stuff!

[Margy]

So glad you liked it and that you made it your own, Nancye!