Not Your Mama’s Onion Dip

I wanted to share a recipe and TV segment that I did this morning on AM Northwest. The recipe is for an amazing, out-of-this-world grown up onion dip, which is sure to be the hit of your next party! The recipe is from my new book Vegan Casseroles. I need to give a nod to the beautiful and talented Annie Shannon of Meet The Shannon’s, as this recipe is adapted from a recipe of hers. No one will ever guess that this dip is made from cashews, white wine and onions!

Caramelized Onion Dip Casserole (vegan + gluten-free)
This dip is adapted from a recipe by Dan and Annie Shannon in Betty Goes Vegan. No one will ever guess that it’s not full of sour cream, but heart-healthy creamy cashews instead. This dip is perfect for the holiday season. Prepared to be wowed!
Serves 8

2 cups raw, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons dried chopped onion
Fine sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
1 jumbo or two small sweet onions, cut into quarters and thinly sliced
Pinch of granulated sugar

In a powerful blender, combine the cashews, wine, water, lemon juice, garlic, granulated onion, and Bragg liquid Aminos. Blend until the mixture is super smooth and creamy, and there are no traces of graininess from the nuts. This will take a couple of minutes, and you will need to scrape down the blender jar. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding salt if needed.

Scoop the cashew mixture into a small casserole dish or loaf pan. Stir in the dried onions, smoothing the top. Cover and chill for several hours.

While the cashew mixture is chilling, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, coating the bottom of the pan. Add the onions, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring as needed, until the onions are caramelized. You may need to lower the heat so that the onions don’t burn. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the onions with a few pinches of sugar and a pinch of salt to help them caramelize. When the onions are soft and nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the heat and let cool completely.

When the dip has chilled and thickened for several hours, top with caramelized onions and serve.

Tip: If you don’t have a strong blender, make sure to soak your cashews for two hours before using. Alternately, you can simmer them for 5 minutes. Drain them before using.

Variation: For a quick onion dip, omit the caramelized onion topping. Top with thinly sliced scallions if desired.
To add an extra onion flavor to the dip, and a little splash of color, sprinkle a handful of thinly sliced scallions over the caramelized onions. You can also stir the caramelized onions into the dip before chilling or serving.

Recipe adapted from Vegan Casseroles, by Julie Hasson, 2014, Running Press