Worth the Tears

Any of you that know me know that I have an abiding love for onions. They just have a rightful place in most dishes - in pasta sauces, on sandwiches, and in every salad. Grilled, sautéed, caramelized, roasted, and raw. And dare to combine them with garlic and I'm in heaven. So when I recently saw a recipe from Chicago-native Adriene on Food52, I knew I had to make it. What is it, you ask? Caramelized Onion Dip.

It was the perfect addition to our Super Bowl watch. Take your time letting the onions caramelize - give them an hour or two on medium-low heat and it'll definitely pay off. The rest of the dish comes together in the food processor. My tip: add a fair amount of salt, pepper, and chives to balance out the sweetness of the onions and the bright acidity of the lemon. Your mouth will thank you.



Caramelized Onion Dip
Courtesy of Adriene on Food52

SERVES 6-8

5 pounds white or yellow onions
8 ounces cream cheese
16 ounces sour cream
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch chives
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Peel and cut the onions in a small dice. Get a large pot on the stove with the olive oil and throw in the diced onions. Cook on medium to low heat until they are caramelized (a nice golden brown color). This should take somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour. Cool to room temperature.

2. Put the cooked onions, cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and zest (if your lemon is large, you may want to start with half of each and add to taste) in a food processor. Blend until combined well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

3. Mince the chives, fold the chives into the dip and sprinkle some on top to garnish.

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Eric
Eric Lovelin Photography