You know that onion dip that you can make by mixing a soup seasoning packet into a tub of sour cream? I have fond nostalgic memories of that and I think it was one of the first things that my parents had allowed me to cook as a kid. But now that I’m grown up, it’s time to give the favored dip a make over! Of course this recipe takes more time than ripping open a packet and stirring a lot, but I promise it’s so worth it in the end.

I use part sour cream and part plain, nonfat Greek yogurt as the base for this. You can use all sour cream, all plain Greek yogurt, or all plain regular yogurt if you want.

This recipe is also easily made vegan for those that are or if you can’t eat dairy products! Substitutions are listed in the recipe, but you can use yogurt alternatives like the cashew version from Forager Project or the almond based one from Kite Hill – both pictured below to help you find them at the store.

Just so you know what you’re getting into for this recipe…the onions are cooked for quite a bit of time, but they’re not fully caramelized so it’s not going to take you hours just to cook them down.

Now, onto the recipe!

Onion Thyme Dip
Vegan substitutions are noted in italics below the main ingredient

Ingredients

• 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
  • Vegan Substitution: There are vegan versions of Worcestershire sauce that doesn’t contain anchovies, but if you can’t find it, replace it with soy sauce.
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more if desired)
• 1 16oz container (or 2 cups) of sour cream
• 2 5.3oz containers (or 1 1/3 cups) of nonfat Greek Yogurt
  • Note: You can use all sour cream (full fat or low fat), or all plain yogurt – Greek or regular (low fat or nonfat), or you can do a mixture of whatever you fancy as long as there’s a total of 3 1/3 cups of a creamy base.
  • Vegan Substitution: Use 3 cups of plain, unsweetened yogurt alternative.
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk
  • Vegan Substitution: use an unsweetened nondairy version
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps

1. Heat up the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add sliced onions. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon sugar and a ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well, then spread out the onions evenly in the pan and let cook for 10 minutes.
2. Give the onions a good stir and lower the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes, giving the onions a good stir and spreading them out again every 5 minutes.
3. Add the chopped garlic to the pan, mixing well before cooking for another 5 minutes.
4. Add thyme, balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to the onions and mix well, letting it all cook together for another 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the stove and set the onions aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
6. Once the onion mixture is cooled, add it to the bowl of a food processor and blend until it becomes a chunky paste – you might need to open the lid and scrape down the sides a couple of times.
7. Place the sour cream and yogurt into a large mixing bowl.
8. To the large mixing bowl, add in the onion mixture, the remaining 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and some black pepper. Mix well until fully combined.
9. Add in milk and stir until well combined.
10. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least one hour.
11. Prior to serving, taste the dip and add more salt or black pepper if needed to your tastes.
12. You can serve this up with cut vegetables, chips, crackers, or even use it as a sandwich spread.
13. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.