Vegan Onion Dip Recipe (2024)

By Yossy Arefi

Vegan Onion Dip Recipe (1)

Total Time
45 minutes, plus soaking and chilling
Rating
4(1,046)
Notes
Read community notes

For the creamiest, dreamiest vegan onion dip, use a high-speed blender, if you have one. There is some down time in this recipe — soaking the cashews and letting the dip rest — but don’t be tempted to skip those steps. The cashews need to soak so they blend as smoothly as possible, and the finished dip benefits greatly from some time to let the flavors come together. Prepare it a day in advance and refrigerate overnight for best results.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have

    10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers.

    Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Print Options

    Include recipe photo

Advertisem*nt

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings (about 3 cups)

  • 1cup raw cashews (about 4 ounces)
  • 3cups chopped yellow onions (from 2 medium onions)
  • ¼cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
  • 1(15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained (about 1 cup)
  • 4teaspoons lemon juice, plus more as needed
  • 4teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½teaspoon onion powder
  • ½teaspoon sweet paprika
  • Chopped chives, for garnish (optional)
  • Potato chips or crudités, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

375 calories; 21 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 365 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Vegan Onion Dip Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with water. Let the cashews soak at room temperature for 2 hours.

  2. Step

    2

    About 45 minutes before the cashews are finished soaking, combine the chopped onions, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are deep golden brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes. To prevent the onions from burning and sticking to the bottom of the skillet, you can add a splash of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Let caramelized onions cool slightly.

  3. Drain the cashews and add them to the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender with the beans and ½ cup water. Blend the mixture until smooth, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer and scraping down the bowl occasionally.

  4. Step

    4

    Add the lemon juice, vinegar, onion powder, paprika and ½ teaspoon salt, and blend again until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Reserve about 1 tablespoon onions for garnish, then add the rest to the bowl. Fold the onions into the mixture, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. (Overnight is ideal for the best flavor.)

  5. Step

    5

    Just before serving, give the dip a good stir and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice and salt as desired. Top with the reserved onions and chives, if desired, and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve with potato chips or crudités. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Ratings

4

out of 5

1,046

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Jimmy

Immediately upon mixing the remaining ingredients: "okay, this is...okay."After letting it sit in the fridge for an hour: "...oh my god, this is amazing."Totally worth the wait.

CFXK

Onion powder gives you concentrated onion flavor - especially sweetness and savoriness - without the added moisture. Recipes often call for onion powder because adding the equivalent of fresh onions would add too much moisture, diluting the taste and changing the texture into something more watery.

Christine

Debby,I’m not a vegan, just a good home cook. Like you, I prefer fresh vegetables. But I also adore both onion and garlic powders and I use them often, sometimes in addition to fresh onion or garlic and sometimes alone. If you like the flavor of onion and garlic, you can really amp up the flavor in your cooking using these powders. They are especially good in dips and dressings where you don’t want to add additional moisture. Happy cooking!

Jean louis LONNE

Thank you for saying how many cups onion. Most recipes say medium or large, but what's that? I live in Portugal, but know American onions can be the size of small melons... Obrigado

lynn rogers

I have a vitamix and respectfully disagree having made a lot of “cashew cream” recipes. Soaking deeply incorporates moisture that amplifies the creaminess and completely creams the mixture. Can say this from experience...

Richard

I made this the night before some company was coming over, tasted it and thought: "not bad but it's going to need lots of additions tomorrow". Tasted it twenty-four hours later and thought: "this is one of the best vegan dips I've ever made". My advice to everyone, as Arefi says, is don't skip the soaking and resting time! This is a real hit.

Valerie

responding to questions about value of dried onion and garlic powder, lately I've gained several fantastic recipes where both onion and garlic powder are included in addition to the fresh onion and fresh garlic. The quality of flavor is different, and enhanced with the addition of them (sometimes I also use onion/garlic granules rather than powder with great results). I look forward to trying this recipe, as I have some cashews on hand.

Andrea

I love this simple recipe! This is my favorite dip to take to a party. While I take along some fresh cut veggies, I think this dip was made for potato chips. Nails it. I make it exactly as written and yes, overnight in the frig is best for flavor.

Debby

So many vegan recipes call for onion and/or garlic powder. Why? Is there something they add that prepared fresh onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, etc. can’t add? As a lifelong home cook who has always avoided onion and garlic powder as not-as-good substitutes for the real thing, I find myself feeling skeptical of recipes and chefs that call for them and haven’t added them to my pantry. Is there some science behind their use in vegan recipes? Would love to learn more.

april hamilton

Brilliant recipe! Super delicious and bonus points for nutritious. I reduced the olive oil amount just a bit with great results. Crowd pleaser!

V

Try sunflower seeds - soak before blending

barbie fish

It was a winner here -- my flavor boosts were 2 roasted garlic cloves blended with cashews and beans, vegetable bouillon flavor base to replace salt, and adding a little sugar and smoked paprika to onions while caramelizing them.

Vi

This is delicious. I wasn't expecting it to be an exact substitute for a dairy-based dip, so I was surprised that it hit such similar notes. I don't have access to high quality dairy free sour cream substitutes, so I haven't bothered attempting vegan onion dip until now - but now I never have to seek them out. Lastly, I agree that including cup measurements for the onions is an excellent idea, thank you. It took me 5 onions - that I would call 'medium' - to get 3 cups.

Emma

I made this without onion powder, instead used a spoonful of caramelized onion straight from the pan, it was delicious! Refrigerated overnight and the taste the next day was next level

Chris

This is a very good dip. But it is not, as some suggest, a direct substitute for dairy-based dips, the texture is very different - more like hummus.

Patricia

WOW, this is incredible. Hosting a party with a mix of guests who are vegan, nondairy, gluten free, and decidedly meat-loving, I was really at a loss on what to make without creating totally separate menus. This dip turned out amaaaaazing. I thought it would taste like the poor cousin of sour cream onion dip, but instead it's more like Clark Kent turning into Superman. I made it just like the recipe and it was easy to follow.

Kathryness

Decadent. Delicious. Make it as stated and let it rest. This is definitely going to be a go-to!

Barbara H.

I would not make this again. As one reviewer said, it was way too sweet, and for me, one-dimensional. And yes, I did as told, including waiting overnight for the flavors to meld.

Karen Ruecker

Is the water supposed to warm for soaking the cashews?

charlotte

"Don't be afraid," I tried telling myself. "This will never work, will be grainy." My blender was so old. And then a silky creamy puree. Added the beans and continued. Onions, spices. Put into fridge overnight. Just wow. Of the 18 or so, none were vegans, turned out. Gone in a flash. More just wow.

charlotte

Followed recipe and comments next day. Upped the lemon juice to tame the natural sweetness of cashews, more onion powder, Aleppo chili flakes, tad garlic powder and kept going. Wish I'd had time to roast garlic to add.

lwall

I used Trader Joe’s onion salt and it worked really well. Such a tasty dip.

Kim C.

Believe the hype! The only substitution I made was garlic powder instead of onion powder because that's what I had on hand. I headed out to a party with the chips and crudités only to realize I'd left the dip behind!! Served it at another party two days later and it was amazing!!! (That means it was in the fridge for three full days after preparation.) Devoured even by our 90-year-old guest who promptly asked for the recipe!

squeezit

I made this for a dinner party with vegan friends and it is stellar as written. I did amp up the onion flavor by adding 1/2c of dried onion flakes re-hydrated in some water with a dash of soy sauce. Mind-blowingly good and the onion flakes added nice texture and a little tooth, as did garnishing with crunchy fried onion from an Asian grocery. Eleven on a 1-10 scale!! Start onions on stove top then put the pan in a 300 degree oven to slow roast for perfect unattended caramelization.

Don Kline

I had no idea this (or any other) vegan dish could be so good. Wonderful, easy, delicious.

DRP from central NJ

I agree with the warning: don't even bother tasting this until after the overnight in the fridge. Then stir in another teaspoon or two of the lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (vegan, or regular if you only need to avoid dairy). I froze the batch to save for a party (and to avoid eating it all myself). Defrost in the fridge, stir and serve.

Sophie

I used smoked paprika instead of sweet. It is a delicious dip and so easy to make! My only critique is that I wish it had a little subtle spice flavor to balance out the sweet. Def needs to be overnight in the fridge! Add that lemon

Tami Schneider

I made this Friday night for a dinner gathering. With a mixture of guests who were vegan and non-vegan, this dip was a crowd-pleaser for all! I made as listed (added more salt and lemon before serving). It was served with fresh cut veggies and a bowl of crunchy, wavy potato chips. Love that this was delicious and without dairy! And, even better the next day. A keeper.

Miacomet

Despite all the instructions, I ended up short on time. I decide to blend about ¼ of the caramelized onions into the dip before folding the rest in. I think that helped infuse the onion flavor in, so I didn't have the benefit of hours to let it age. Pretty tasty!

Nolan

Followed the recipe and found it to be quite bland. Even after 24 hours in the fridge, I had to doctor it up a bit by adding another full batch of caramelized onions, spices and veggie broth. Still wasn’t that impressed.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Vegan Onion Dip Recipe (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Neely Ledner

Last Updated:

Views: 5263

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Neely Ledner

Birthday: 1998-06-09

Address: 443 Barrows Terrace, New Jodyberg, CO 57462-5329

Phone: +2433516856029

Job: Central Legal Facilitator

Hobby: Backpacking, Jogging, Magic, Driving, Macrame, Embroidery, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.