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It looks ultra-creamy but this easy plant-based French onion dip has no sour cream or mayonaise.
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Vegan French Onion Dip

This guilt-free French Onion Dip from scratch is loaded with sweet flavorful bits of caramelized onion in an ultra-creamy plant-based "sour cream". It's the ultimate party dip that carnivores, vegetarians and vegans can enjoy alike.
Course Appetizer, Condiments & Pickles
Cuisine American
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Nuts
Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low Sugar, Low-Carb, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 144kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 285 grams onions (2 small onions, finely diced)
  • 140 grams raw cashew nuts (about 1 cup)
  • 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon usukuchi soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)
  • paprika (for garnish)
Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

  • Put the 2 tablespoons olive oil and 285 grams onions in a frying pan and cover with a lid. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook covered until the onions are tender (about 10 minutes).
    2 tablespoons olive oil, 285 grams onions
    First steam the onions with a lid. This cooks the onions through quickly, helping them to caramelize faster.
  • Remove the lid and turn up the heat to medium-high to quickly evaporate off the excess water.
    Once the lid is removed you can turn up the heat to burn off the water and start to caramelize the onions for the french onion dip.
  • When you hear the onions start to sizzle, sauté them, stirring continuously, until the onions are fully caramelized (another 10 minutes or so).
    For the most flavorful vegan french onion dip, be sure to fully caramelize the onions.
  • While the onions cook, add the 140 grams raw cashew nuts to a small pan and cover with about an inch of water. Bring the cashews to a boil and then set a timer for 2 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the cashews cool to room temperature in the liquid.
    140 grams raw cashew nuts
    Boil the raw cashew nuts to soften them up.
  • Use a slotted spoon to add the cashew nuts to a blender. Measure out ⅓ cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the blender. Add the 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon usukuchi soy sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and half of the caramelized onion mixture.
    2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon usukuchi soy sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    The boiled cashew nuts go into a blender with nutritional yeast, soy sauce, salt and lemon juice to make a creamy plant-based French onion dip.
  • Blend until very smooth. If your blender is having trouble spinning, you can add a little extra cooking liquid from the cashews to help it out. 
  • Transfer the dip from the blender to a bowl and stir in the remaining caramelized onions. Adjust the seasonings (salt and vinegar) to taste.
    Stir in the remaining caramelized onions into the vegan French onion dip and adjust seasonings to taste.
  • Garnish with flat-leaf parsley and paprika and serve your vegan French onion dip with bread, chips, or vegetable sticks .
    flat-leaf parsley, paprika

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.3mg