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–+ servings
A bowl of creamy Caramelized Onion Dip garnished with herbs and chopped vegetables, served with a cracker. Sliced orange bell peppers are on the side, and fresh parsley is in the background on a patterned surface.

Caramelized Onion Dip

This creamy, dreamy, tangy dip is packed with swirls of jammy caramelized onions. It’s the perfect addition to a platter of crudites and whole-grain crackers.
Yield: 1.75 cups
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 medium onions, thinly sliced (~6 cups worth)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 cups lite sour cream, or nonfat or 2% Greek yogurt
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Ingredient Details to Know
*You can use nonfat or 2% plain Greek yogurt or light sour cream. Pour off any liquid that may have settled on top of the container before measuring.
You can also half the sour cream or yogurt with light mayo.

Instructions
 

  • Add the oil to a large skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the onions with ½ tsp salt. Allow them to cook, stirring often, for about 60 minutes, until they’re nicely browned and fragrant. If the onions start to burn, lower the heat to low.
  • Also, if the onions become too dry at any point, add a tablespoon water to the pan. The onions will reduce in size to yield about 1 cup when they’re caramelized.
  • When the onions are done cooking, let them slightly cool. Lay them on a cutting board and chop into tiny pieces. Alternatively, you can use a pair of kitchen scissors and snip them into small pieces right in the skillet.
  • In a mixing bowl, blend the sour cream, remaining salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in the onions. Taste and season with extra salt, pepper and minced herbs.
  • Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it becomes thicker than you’d like, simply mix in a few extra tablespoons of yogurt or sour cream.

Notes

• Caramelizing such a large amount of onions in one pan will take some time, about 60 minutes over medium heat. While a smaller amount of onions (just one or two) will caramelize more quickly, you’ll need this full amount for the addictive, onion-y flavor. Trust me on this. Use the largest and widest skillet you have on hand. Once your onions get started, I suggest putting on some great music and multi-tasking while they cook; you can dance, tend to other food items that need prepping, or catch up on a juicy episode of whatever you’re currently watching. You’ll need to stir them occasionally, so don’t stray too far from the kitchen!
• You can opt to caramelize the onions ahead of time and store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
• I use 3 medium yellow onions (~6 cups worth of slices), which will cook all the way down to just about 1 cup, if you can believe. You can use any onion but I recommend using yellow or sweet onions.
• If using nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, 2 tablespoons provide about 35 calories, 2g fat, and 2g protein.
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Serving Size: 2 tablespoonsCalories: 50Carbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gTotal Fat: 4g— Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g— Saturated Fat: 1.5gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 95mgFiber: 0gTotal Sugar: 1g— Natural Sugar: 1g— Added Sugar: 0g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.