Non-dairy French Onion Dip 25-May-2019

Categories: appetizers Tags: dairy-free gluten-free vidalias onions tofu

Looking for something I can bring to parties that also won’t kill me. I found this recipe at brand new vegan who seems to have similar ideas. As you’ll see, though, this turned non-vegan in a twist at the end.

Ingredients

  • 1 large vidalia onion, peeled and sliced on a mandoline
  • salt
  • balsamic vinegar
  • 16oz block of extra firm tofu

(On the next three, I misread and used tablespoons. It makes a difference. :P )

  • 5 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce (normal stuff has gluten) (I didn’t have any so I left it out)
  • 1/3 cup dried chopped onions (I had minced)
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • some pepper

Directions

  1. In a large dry frying pan at just under medium heat, lay in the sliced onions, busting up rings, and clumps, trying to get as thin a layer of onion as possible, dusting on the salt. Leave on the heat, without touching, for at least 20 minutes, maybe 30. (I confess this was hard to achieve, I ended up flipping things over at around 15-20 minutes because too much of mine weren’t touching the pan. But only once! I swear!)
  2. While that is going on, rearrange the counter top and do some dishes so you can drag over the food processor that weighs about 20 pounds.
  3. Drain the tofu, and dump the block in the food processor.
  4. Add the rest of the stuff to the food processor and pulse it until it is smooth.
  5. At the end of the 30 minute onion spree, splash on a little balsamic and mix up the onions, deglazing the pan. Dump that mess into the food processor bowl.

  6. Pulse the food processor to integrate the onions, but don’t turn it into a smoothie.

  7. And then because I had a ton of bacon from another recipe I was doing available, I grabbed a couple pieces, chopped them and dump them into the bowl, too. A few pulses to integrate it all.

  8. Refrigerate it well.

  9. After a few tastes realize you added too much lemon juice, vinegar, and syrup. Yeah. Oops. Read the damn directions, Tamara. Oh, well, bringing it anyway, there’s no time to start this over.

Notes

Not sure this is smooth or creamy enough for regular potato chips. It’s okay with small tortilla rounds (yay, Old Dutch).

I think the acids were an attempt to get the tang of sour cream, and the maple syrup to get the sweet and also cover up the bitterness of the tofu. Never try to pass this off as anything but tofu, though.