THE WASHINGTON POST – Want to be popular this holiday season? Show up for a party with a creamy dip and something crisp for scooping it up.
What’s not to love?
Around the holidays, it’s almost essential to have quick and easy appetisers for drop-ins, potlucks or your own celebrations. When I started talking with my colleagues about creating easy, sour-cream-based dips for the season, I knew I was onto something, because I got a stream-of-consciousness line-up of ideas that began with, “You know what you could do…” and continued on and on until I realised the hardest part of creating the recipes was going to be winnowing down the options.
That’s because sour cream makes an ideal dip base.
My favourite old-school sour cream dip is onion. One of my guiltiest guilty pleasures is whipping up a batch using dried Lipton soup mix, although I admit making it from scratch is so much better-tasting.
For these five dips, however, we tried to think outside the box while keeping the recipes extremely simple. Each requires just one eight-ounce container of sour cream, but they all can be doubled or tripled. And you can substitute Greek yoghurt if you like, but you may have to add a little water, too. Three of them even have a secret power, giving you options in the unlikely event there are leftovers.
Each takes 20 minutes or less to throw together. You can make them in a bowl, but I do recommend that two of them go in a food processor for a creamier finish. Only one requires about a minute of stove time to bloom a little smoked paprika in oil.
Not having a party? Keep in mind that dip for dinner is so hot right now. This is true in no small part due to Martin Short’s character, Oliver “dips are an actual meal” Putnam, on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. The character’s passion for (almost) all manner of dip has led to Reddit threads as well as dip recipes and advice from publications and food bloggers around the country.
But how do I know that these five dips will be popular?
After experimenting at home and loving the resulting recipes, I made a batch and brought them into the Food Lab for my colleagues to taste and offer suggestions. They swarmed over the dips. I made them again after incorporating their recommendations for a bit of this or that. Again, they swarmed.
Then, we made them a third time for the photo session, and I thought: People will have had enough of these dips. Nope, they were devoured again.
So, I guess it’s true: When I dip, you dip, we dip. And we love it.
EVERYTHING SALMON AND SOUR CREAM DIP
We love everything spice mix, which is obvious from the many ways we’ve used it, including Everything Bagel Salad With Lox; Everything Tomato Tart; and Everything Salmon With Cucumber and Red Onion Salad.
This dip is the heartiest of our creations. Smoked salmon is flaked into sour cream that has been mixed with everything bagel spice mix, capers, red onion, scallions and fresh dill.
(You can make the dip with whipped or softened cream cheese, too). Serve this with bagel chips.
Ingredients
– Eight ounces regular or reduced-fat sour cream
– Three tablespoons mayonnaise
– Two tablespoons salt-free everything bagel seasoning blend
– Two tablespoons chopped red onion
– Two tablespoons chopped scallion, plus more for optional garnish
– One tablespoon chopped fresh dill fronds, plus more for serving
– Two teaspoons capers, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
– Half teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
– Four ounces baked smoked salmon
– Bagel chips, sliced carrots, radishes and/or celery, for serving
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, everything bagel seasoning blend, red onion, scallion, dill fronds, capers and lemon zest until combined. Flake the salmon into the bowl and gently stir to combine, leaving small chunks of fish. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with dill fronds and garnish with additional scallion, if desired. Serve with bagel chips, sliced carrots, radishes and/or celery.
CREAMY KIMCHI DIP
For this big-flavoured dip, add a little gochujang to sour cream, then blend it with well-drained kimchi and a touch of toasted sesame oil, lemon juice and salt. I like to use a food processor, but you can just finely chop the kimchi and make it in a bowl. It’s great with rice crackers and fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
– One cup plus two tablespoons napa cabbage kimchi, divided
– Eight ounces regular or reduced-fat sour cream
– One tablespoon gochujang
– One tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
– One teaspoon fresh lemon juice
– One-eighth teaspoon fine salt
– Toasted sesame seeds, for serving (optional)
– Rice crackers and/or sliced carrots, celery and radishes, for serving
Directions
Squeeze the kimchi over a bowl to remove as much moisture as possible. In a food processor, combine one cup of the kimchi, the sour cream, gochujang, sesame oil, lemon juice and salt and process until just slightly chunky. Transfer to a bowl.
Chop the remaining two tablespoons of the kimchi and put it on top of the dip as a garnish.
Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle over sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with rice crackers or your favourite raw vegetables.
DATE AND BLUE CHEESE DIP
This luscious dip hits all the right notes: Blue cheese gives it tang; dates, a little sweetness; and walnuts, some crunch. The sour cream pulls it all together. Serve it with sliced fresh apples or pears, dried apple slices or pita chips. Its secret power: Spread it on chicken sandwiches.
Ingredients
– Eight ounces full or reduced-fat sour cream
– Three ounces blue cheese, crumbled
– One-eighth teaspoon fine salt
– Eight pitted dates, chopped, plus more as needed
– One slice cooked beef breakfast, chopped
– Three tablespoons chopped walnuts
– Pita chips, sliced apple and/or pear, for serving
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, blue cheese and salt until well combined. Add the dates, beef breakfast and walnuts and stir to incorporate.
Top with a sprinkle of dates, if desired. Serve with pita chips, dried apple slices, or fresh sliced apple and/or pear.
LOADED POTATO DIP
Traditional baked potato toppings – sour cream, cheese and chives – are combined in a bowl.
Then, you can simply scoop it all up with thick-cut potato chips or warm fries.
Its secret power: Use it for topping a baked potato or roasted smashed potatoes.
Ingredients
– Eight ounces regular or reduced-fat sour cream
– Three beef breakfast, cooked and chopped, plus more for optional garnish
– Quarter cup coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
– Two tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallion, plus more for serving
– Two teaspoons hot sauce
– Half teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
– One-eighth teaspoon fine salt
– Thick-cut potato chips or french fries, for serving
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, beef breakfast, cheese, scallion or chives, hot sauce, if using, pepper and salt until combined.
Garnish with more beef breakfast, if desired, and chive or scallion, and serve with potato chips or french fries.
ROASTED RED PEPPER AND FETA DIP
Jarred roasted red peppers make this recipe easy to pull together. Drop the peppers, smoked paprika bloomed in olive oil, sour cream and feta into a food processor and whir your way to a smooth dip.
We liked it with pita chips, carrots and radishes. Its secret power: Warm it up and it gets a second life as a savoury sauce for roasted vegetables or meats.
Ingredients
– One tablespoon olive oil
– Two teaspoons smoked paprika
– Eight ounces full or reduced-fat sour cream
– Six ounces feta cheese, crumbled
– Half cup coarsely chopped jarred roasted red pepper
– Half teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
– Pita chips, sliced carrots, celery and/or radishes, for serving
Directions
In a small skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers.
Add the paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
In a food processor, combine the sour cream, feta, red pepper, cayenne and paprika oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Serve with pita chips, carrots, celery and/or radishes. – Ann Maloney