Best easy onion dip that actually tastes like onions

The compendium is curated resources of things I’ve stumbled upon and want to share, and that includes “recipes” I make up on the fly.

The old classic of stirring a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix into sour cream to make a quick dip is a standby in our house. “Dinner” is often a huge platter of chopped veggies, Kettle jalapeño chips, and onion dip.

I’m feeling smug to announce that I’ve improved the original with very minimal additional effort. Spending just 2 extra minutes will give you a satisfyingly chunky dip that’s more flavorful, more balanced, and more visually pleasing than the basic version.

What You Need

• sour cream, 16oz

• Lipton onion soup mix, 1 packet

• red onion, 1/2 (more if you’re feeling bold, less if you’re delicate)

• everything bagel seasoning, I use this one, but I don’t think it really matters

• a bowl of some kind, we just mix ours directly in a Tupperware container

What You Do

• Stir your Lipton soup mix into the sour cream until well mixed

• Chop or dice 1/2 a red onion. Pretty small, but not minced. Don’t ever think it. Stir the diced onion into the sour cream mixture.

• Add several aggressive shakes of everything bagel seasoning. I don’t measure, and you shouldn’t either. Trust your heart.

• Serve with veggies, crackers, or as I just did, scooped onto Triscuits with a glass of rosé while standing over the kitchen sink like a god damn lady.

Some Thoughts

• You can eat it right away, but if you’re serving it to guests, give it 30 minutes or so minutes in the fridge first. This will give the dry bits in the Lipton soup mix a chance to rehydrate so nobody gets any “gritty” bites. That said, we never wait that long, and regret nothing.

• Yes, 1/2 a red onion is going to seem like a lot, but listen, onion dip should taste like onion. The raw onion adds flavor, texture, and the bite of raw onion helps cut the richness of the sour cream in a good way for a more balanced dip.

  • But you can do less onion if you want. Or more! Be crazy.

  • Bonus: onion has nutrients and antioxidants that are good for you.

  • Could you do an onion varietal other than red onion? I don’t see why not.

• Can you even taste the Everything Bagel Seasoning? I honesty couldn’t say, but I’m not also not willing to omit it next time either. At the very least it makes the dip look like it’s more complex than it actually is and poppy seeds add a touch of elite snobbery that is most welcome in a dip that came from powder in the soup aisle.