Super Snackin’ Sunday: Caramelized Onion & Shallot Dip

By Mrs. Big Flavors On October 21, 2012 · Leave a Comment

There’s this one onion dip recipe that has been in the family forever. It’s made at every family gathering, and it never last longs. In fact, it’s so popular at these parties that my Grandmother has resorted to hiding the dip containers in secret places or writing “Do not Touch” messages on the lids, so that it doesn’t get eaten before she is ready to even serve it. And, it’s a super simple recipe, so everyone in the family is able to make it. It’s just a simple combination of cream cheese, grated onion, and milk. Nothing fancy. Just easy, fast and tasty. Usually, I’m quite content with this family version of onion dip. Until earlier in the month when the new Bon Appetit magazine arrived, and I found a different way to prepare this game-day favorite.

This is a fancy onion dip, made with adults in mind. Well, most adults anyways. (Dad, I’m looking at you. You just stick with regular old kiddie onion dip.) That’s because it involves roasting onions and shallots with some fresh thyme until tender and caramelized. This caramelizing process breaks down the onions’ natural sugars and brings out an intensely sweet flavor. Then, the pan is deglazed with a few splashes of red wine so you can scrape up all of the little brown bits that have roasted to the bottom of the pan. While it takes a bit more effort than the stand-by family dip, the extra effort is totally worth it. The rich and deep onion & shallot flavors offset the creamy, cool sour cream. And, the dry red wine helps give a bit more depth to the flavor.

The dip also looks quite elegant. The red wine gives the onions a very bold coloring, so the dip has almost a pink color to it, with studs of green from the freshly chopped chives. Serve this with some regular chips or even some french bread bits for dipping. Super classy. Bring this appetizer to your next football party, and let the adults dig right in to this dip. (Just, make sure to also bring some breath mints for afterwards.) I can picture it now… a big glass of wine in one hand and a couple of chips covered with this caramelized onion dip in the other. I’d like to be invited to a football party like that.

Caramelized Onion & Shallot Dip

Print recipe

Serves	6
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	1 hour
Total time	1 hour, 15 minutes
Meal type	Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
From magazine	Bon Appetit

Ingredients

2 large onions (thinly sliced)
3 medium shallots (thinly sliced)
4 sprigs thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup fresh chives (minced)
1/4 cup yogurt
2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add onion, shallots, thyme and oil to a large roasting pan. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper
2.	Roast mixture for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Onions should soften and turn golden brown.
3.	Remove thyme sprigs. Add wine and vinegar. Stir to scrape up any brown bits from bottomw of pan. Place back in oven for another 10 - 15 minutes more, until onions are caramelized. Spread onion mixture out onto a foil lined baking tray and let cool completely.
4.	Once cool, mince onion mixture and add to a mixing bowl. Add sour cream, chives, yogurt, and onion powder. season with salt and pepper. Refrigerated until ready to serve.