Pan-Fried Onion Dip

This was inspired by reading Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten. Debra of Eliot's Eats picked this as our February/Mary 2025 Cook the Books selection.

You can read my comments about the memoir in my post Frosting Delivery Systems - Also Known as Coconut Cupcakes. But this was inspired by this passage...

"Our pan-fried onion dip is a perfect example. In the 1950s, we called it California Dip, and it was omnipresent at rec room parties because it was so easy to make: just a package of Lipton onion soup mix with two cups of sour cream, served with a bottomless bowl of potato chips. It was addictive, but who knows what was in it? But, I thought, what if the onions were fresh instead of dehydrated, cooked over low heat until they caramelized to a golden brown, and mixed with sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and a dash of cayenne pepper?"

It’s familiar, but it tastes so much better than you remember.

I didn't follow her process, but just made the dip the way I like it!

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 medium organic yellow onions, approximately 5 to 6 cups, thinly sliced

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil + more as needed

• freshly ground salt

• freshly ground pepper

• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon sumac

• 1-1/2 cup yogurt (I used a whole milk Greek yogurt)

• 1 Tablespoons lemon juice (I used freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice)

• chips for serving

Procedure

Put the onions in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover and let cook until the onions are dry and almost sticking to the pan, approximately 20 minutes. Pour in olive oil and a few grinds of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are dark and caramelized, approximately 40 to 50 minutes.

Add in a few grinds of pepper and stir in the thyme and sumac. Remove from the heat and let cool. Fold them into the yogurt and add in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.

I served these with ridged potato chips during our SuperBowl party!