Description
This creamy, savory Vegan French Onion Dip is the perfect appetizer to make for game day, to bring to a party, or just a really tasty addition to weekday snacking. It's made with golden caramelized onions and homemade vegan sour cream for a plant-based take on the classic dip!
Ingredients
Make in advance if possible:
- 1 batch Vegan Sour Cream* (or 1 1/4 cup store-bought dairy-free sour cream)
- 1 batch Caramelized Onions** (about 3/4 cup which is from 1 large yellow onion)
Garnish Ideas:
- fresh chives, chopped (or sub green onion or flat leaf parsley)
- diced caramelized onions (reserved from above)
- pomegranate arils for a festive holiday appetizer (1 cup for the dip and 1/4 cup for garnish)
Serve with:
- potato chips (or pita chips or crackers)
- crostini/flatbread
- raw veggies/crudités
- baked potato or homemade baked potato fries or baked sweet potato fries
Instructions
- Prepare the vegan sour cream. Blend the soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt using a high speed blender for 45 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a mini spatula and blend again for 15 seconds. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and place in the fridge to thicken.
- Caramelize the onions. Preheat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop on medium heat. Add the sliced onions, olive oil and salt to the skillet and toss to evenly coat. Cook for 5 minutes until the onions soften and some begin to brown. Reduce to medium-low heat and cook for another 30 minutes (tossing throughout) and then again for another 25-30 minutes on low heat until golden brown and crispy. Allow time for the onions to cool.
- Add the caramelized onions to the vegan sour cream. Roughly chop the onions and then fold them into the vegan sour cream.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge. For best results, refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to allow the flavor of the caramelized onions to infuse with the vegan sour cream.
- Serve! Stir before transferring the dip to a serving bowl. Fold in 1 cup of pomegranate seeds (optional). Garnish with green onions or freshly chopped chives if desired.
Notes
* For best results make the vegan sour cream eight hours in advance. This allows the sour cream to chill (it gets hot from blending as it is made). Refrigerating also allows time for the sour cream to thicken up. To make the vegan sour cream you will need to soak the cashews in advance so be sure to allow time for that as well.
** Allow the onions to cool slightly before adding to the dip. For faster caramelized onions you can finely dice the onion before cooking and they will cook faster than if sliced (about 30 minutes instead of an hour minutes). For this recipe you want the caramelized onions golden brown (but not black or burnt) and crispy. Allow them to cool to room temperature before chopping so that they crispy up nicely.
This dip is best the day after it is mixed together as it allows the flavor of the caramelized onions to infuse into the sour cream more. When this happens the dip will turn from white to golden brown.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 60
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: French
