Walla Walla Onion Dip
It’s taken us years to get good at growing big, beautiful onions here at Tumbleweed Farm. Our first 4 seasons farming on our own we really sucked at growing onions. They were small and generally not very productive in the field. However, here we are in year 11 and I can proudly say that over the last 5 years we’ve finally gotten a handle on our onion game and can grow big, beautiful onions. Over the past 3 years we’ve added Walla Walla sweet onions to our production and I’ve gotta say, they are one of my favorite varieties to grow. They’re absolutely beautiful and their taste is superior to a lot of other sweet varieties (in my personal opinion). This week our CSA members are getting a lot of Walla Walla onions in their shares and I thought this recipe would be a great one to celebrate their seasonal debut!
The trick to a delicious onion dip is to take the time to actually caramelize your onions. This takes a bit of time, but trust me folks! It is worth every second. The onions become rich, decadent and mouthwateringly sweet. I mix them in with some extra thick greek style yogurt with a touch of red wine vinegar and the result is a tasty, addictive dip that trumps any store bought onion dip you’ve had in the past. I know a lot of you may be used to onion dips made with mayo or cream cheese and while those are delicious as well, I love this version with greek yogurt. It’s not quite as much of a gut bomb and I think it’s actually a lot tastier. It’s smooth, rich and creamy and I could seriously eat this dip all day long. Spoon a little dip on top of a hamburger, a steak, a piece of grilled fish or spooned into a bowl of hot pasta. Of course, a bag of chips and some fresh veggies goes a long way. I hope you all enjoy this dip as much as we do. Cheers to onion season!
Walla Walla Onion Dip
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Serves: 6 as a side
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds Walla Walla Sweet Onions (or another sweet onion) thinly sliced-- about 4 cups worth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- hefty pinch of salt
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups full fat Greek Style plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- thyme sprigs for garnish
Preparation
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat until it begins to sizzle. Add about half of the chopped onions and give the pot a big stir. Cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to wilt down a bit. Add the rest of the onions , the thyme and a big pinch of salt. Give the pot another stir and then reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring often until the onions begin to turn brown and become fragrant. About 15 minutes. Add your chopped garlic and continue to cook for about 5 minutes longer. Add the wine, turn the heat up to medium high, stir frequently until the wine evaporates and the onions and garlic are very fragrant, about 5 minutes longer. Reduce your heat to medium low again and continue to cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes longer or until your onions are deeply golden and tender. If your pan dries out too much add a splash more wine.
- Remove your onions from the heat and dump them out onto a cutting board. When cool enough to handle roughly chop them (this step is optional but I find I like the onions chopped really small for the sake of the dip. If you prefer the longer strands that's totally up to you!) Add the chopped onions to a large bowl and stir in the yogurt and vinegar. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and taste for seasonings. Top with fresh thyme sprigs and serve.
Notes
Any variety of sweet onions will work for this recipe. If you can't find sweet onions red or yellow onions will work fine as a replacement. Store the onion dip in the fridge for up to 1 week.
This is delicious!