Vegan Caramelized Onion Garlic Dip
Author:This deliciously cool and creamy Vegan Caramelized Onion and Garlic Dip is a real crowd-pleaser! Made with silken tofu, it's dairy-free, plant-based, packed with sweet, concentrated garlic and caramelized onion flavour and delicious served with chips or crunchy fresh veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little for greasing
- 1 whole head garlic , not individual cloves, the whole thing
- 2 large or about 2 heaping cups (300 grams) yellow onion, peeled, cut in half then sliced finely
- 2 teaspoons white or cane sugar
- 1 pack (approximately 308g or 10.9 oz) silken tofu or soft tofu (Pack sizes vary. You don't have to be exact. A little more or less is fine)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus a little more to taste if necessary
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
- Up to 4 tablespoons (60 mls) dairy-free milk. It must be unsweetened & unflavoured
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roast the garlic - Note that you can do this up to a couple of days in advance and store it, still wrapped, in the fridge. I roast mine when the oven is on for something else.
- Keep the garlic head all in one piece (don't break off individual cloves) and slice about ¼ inch straight off the top, exposing the inside of the cloves inside. Take a square of foil, grease it with olive oil, place the garlic head cut-side down in the middle and wrap it very tightly. Place on a small baking tray and bake for 40 minutes. After this time, check it. It should be really soft if you give it a squeeze. Give it another 5 minutes or so if it's not. Once completely soft, remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the foil.
- Caramelize the onion - Heat a sauté pan over a medium-low heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then the sliced onion. Cook slowly for around 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the onion is soft and starting to turn golden, add the sugar. Stir well, then continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so until it is a very deep golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Blend the dip - To a blender, add the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, white miso, vinegar and salt. Take the roasted garlic head and gently squeeze the garlic out of the papery skins and into the blender, along with about half of the caramelized onion. Blend until completely smooth. Check the consistency and add a little milk if needed to get a nice dip consistency. Add it very sparingly, blending in between additions, so you don't accidentally use too much.
- Add the thyme and the rest of the onion (saving a little to garnish the top of the dip)and stir to distribute. If you prefer it completely smooth, you can blend all of the onion into it. I like having some of the golden strands through mine for texture. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- To serve - Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with a little caramelized onion and/or some fresh thyme leaves.
NOTES
Store leftover dip in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
NUTRITION
Serving: 53g (around ¼ cup) | Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
