Description
This dairy free french onion dip is a homemade take on a true classic! Made with cashews instead of sour cream / mayonnaise, and TWO kinds of deeply caramelized onions. An ultra creamy and nostalgic dip that is not only easy to make but also packed with umami rich flavor! Gluten free, paleo, and Whole30 compatible.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- ½ cup + 3 tablespooons water, plus more to soak cashews
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced (can be omitted)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste – I used about an additional ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Reserved caramelized onions or chives to garnish
- Serve with ruffled potato chips, cut veggies, or crackers (Note: To keep this recipe Whole30 compatible it should be served with cut veggies or alongside a Whole30 meal)
Instructions
- In a medium sized heat proof bowl cover raw cashews with just boiled water. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Trim and cut onions in half and thinly slice. Try and cut them into as even slices as possible, so that they cook at an even rate.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. The bigger the skillet (more surface area) the faster your onions will caramelize.
- Once hot, add onions with kosher salt. Sauté, stirring every few minutes, until the onions have softened considerably. Lower the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized and tender. This step can take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. If the onions look like they’re getting too dark on the edges or are sticking to the bottom of the pan add a few tablespoons of water and scrape up any dark bits and reincorporate them into the onions. Don’t worry about watering down the flavor – the water will evaporate and create more evenly caramelized, tender onions. This step can be repeated as often as necessary.
- If using green onions: About 5 minutes before onions are done add the thinly sliced green onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.
- When the onions are caramelized and the green onions are translucent and soft, set aside and allow to cool while you make the rest of the dip.
- Drain cashews and add to a high speed blender along with the ½ cup + 3 tablespoons water, lemon juice, coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add more water a tiny bit at a time if the texture is too thick to blend. When done, there should be no pieces of cashews remaining, and be the texture of sour cream.
- Transfer caramelized onions to a bowl (setting some aside to garnish the dip if desired) and add the blended cashew mix. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- The dip may seem a bit thin at first, but will thicken when chilled. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight. The flavors will deepen as the dip sits. If you’re in a hurry you can stick it in the freezer to chill faster, and take it out every 5 ish minutes to stir for about 15-25 minutes.
- Garnish with reserved caramelized onions or chives if desired and serve!
Notes
This dip should last for 5-6 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. If you don’t think it will all be eaten by then you can freeze it until your ready to enjoy again!
Coconut aminos can be substituted with gluten free soy sauce or vegan Worcestershire sauce – however both of those are not considered Whole30 compliant.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: snack
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: american