Homemade French Onion Dip

There is absolutely a time and place for onion dip made with an envelope or two of onion soup mix and a tub of sour cream. Throw in a bag of Ruffle potato chips and you've got yourself a hell of a party.

But with just a handful of common ingredients and less than an hour's time, you can take onion dip to an entirely new level. Cream cheese adds richness while the freshly caramelized onions bring a sweetness and complexity that you just can't get from an envelope of dehydrated onions and some dry seasoning.

We had plenty of leftovers (since I made it for just the two of us), but the dip held up well in the refrigerator for several days. It was best if left at room temperature for a few minutes, though, to loosen up a bit.

Ingredients

• 2 large red onions
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 C white wine or dry vermouth
• 12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 C sour cream

Method

1. First, make the onion jam. Peel and slice the onions into fine half-moons. Place them into a wide heavy-based pan, along with the olive oil, and sweat over a medium-low heat until they begin to caramelize and brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the thyme leaves and granulated sugar to the pan, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the sugar is melted and the onions are well caramelized.
3. Pour the white wine or vermouth into the pan, and working quickly, stir and scrape any sticky, browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring and scraping until the pan is basically clean, and the liquid has completely evaporated. Turn off the heat, and set aside to cool.
4. To make the dip, beat the cream cheese (either with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer) until it is completely smooth. Add the sour cream and beat again until smooth, thick and combined.
5. Add the cooled onion jam and mix the two together, reserving about a tablespoon of the onions, diced, for garnish. 
6. Try not to eat the entire dish of dip in one serving.

Source: Food 52

And, if you like caramelized onions as much as I do, check out this Caramelized Onion and White Bean dip.