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In this post: This classic French onion dip is made with vegan (soy-free) mayo, caramelized onions, and plenty of tasty herbs and spices. Perfect with chips and crunchy veggies for game day!
This yummy French onion dip is made from creamy vegan (and for us soy-free) mayo, caramelized onions, and lots of seasonings. It’s absolutely delicious paired with potato chips (ruffled are the best!), crunchy veggies like carrots and celery, or even used as a burger condiment!
French Onion Dip is a Classic!
One of my favorite treats as a kid was when my mom would buy plain salted potato chips and French onion chip dip. Sometimes it was the pre-made kind in the little tub. Sometimes it was the powdered French onion soup mix packets mixed with sour cream.
It didn’t happen often because my siblings and I were allergic to dairy products. So when it did, it was a real treat.
As an adult, I could tolerate dairy a little more and that was still one of my favorite treats to pick up on a cold winter day on the way home from church. (Isn’t it funny how those things that were comfort foods or treats as a kid are still so special?)
Unfortunately, now that I’m in my forties, dairy is once again not my friend. Oddly enough, neither are eggs and many other things. Sigh.
Thankfully, food substitutes have gotten much tastier and more readily available than they used to be. And my family is pretty good at being guinea pigs for my creative kitchen adventures!
Creamy Vegan French Onion Dip
For ages, I couldn’t even fathom making a creamy dip. I mean, if dairy-filled sour cream is out, and the soy-based sour cream substitutes are too, what does that leave?
One night during the pandemic though, I was craving something creamy to go with the chips we seemed to always have on hand.
So I decided to play around in the kitchen a bit by caramelizing some diced red onions in a bit of olive oil and butter and then adding a bit of this and that. (Butter is the one dairy product that doesn’t bother me. But in order to make this a VEGAN French onion dip, obviously use a dairy-free butter substitute or simply just use a little more olive oil.)
Over time, I tweaked and adjusted the recipe (it was initially very salty). And the result was this delicious French onion dip!
How to Make Vegan French Onion Soup Dip
Ingredients
- Soy-free vegan mayo (we use this one)
- olive oil
- dairy-free butter substitute (optional)
- diced red onions
- minced garlic (or garlic powder)
- dill
- smoked paprika
- other seasonings (see suggestions below)
Instructions
Carmelize the onions
In a small saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil (and vegan butter substitute if using) and saute the diced onions until they’re translucent. Include minced garlic with the onions if you’re using that and not garlic powder.
Gather your other ingredients
Gather your mayo and seasonings and mix them in a bowl.
Add the caramelized onion mix to the bowl and stir to mix well. If you don’t want a lumpy or somewhat chunky dip, you can blend the dip in a food processor or blender to make it smooth.
Taste and adjust
Taste test your dip and adjust seasonings as needed.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, and nutritional information see the recipe card below.
Seasonings and Recipe Variations for French Onion Dip
If you’d like to tweak or play around with the flavor of your onion dip try any of these seasonings and adjust to taste.
- Worcestershire sauce. If you’re gluten-free, look for a gluten-free version.
- HP Sauce. I like to use a “squirt” of this as it gives the flavor of Worcestershire sauce. It’s not technically gluten-free but it has never bothered either my daughter or me. Obviously, don’t use it if you’re celiac!
- Dijon mustard. I also love a little “squirt” of dijon in my dips and dressings for extra flavor.
- Smoked paprika. I use this in several dishes because it adds a nice smokey flavor.
- Dill. Dill is delicious in this dip and many other homemade dips and dressings too. You can use fresh or dried.
- Chives. Either dried or fresh chives are yummy.
- Parsley. Again fresh or dried works here and tastes yummy.
- Celery Salt. I don’t typically use this, but you totally could.
- Apple cider vinegar. I’m not sure why, but apple cider vinegar also adds some depth to the dip. But just a splash!
- Balsamic vinegar. Another weirdo addition, but a splash of balsamic vinegar makes this dip extra tasty.
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos. I often add a tiny splash of coconut aminos to our French onion dip too. If you use soy sauce, adjust any salt you use accordingly. (Soy sauce is much saltier than coconut aminos.)
- Lemon juice. Instead of the vinegar, you could add a little splash of lemon juice. This is not in our regular French onion dip rotation though.
- Pickle juice. If you want a very dilly dip, try adding a splash of dill pickle juice. Kosher pickle juice is super tangy and delish. Or try sweet pickle juice for another variation.
- Salt. Go easy with the salt in this dip. I find it’s magically salty on its own and tastes especially salty when it’s served with potato chips.
- Pepper. Pepper adds a nice dimension to the dip. Sort of like a base note in a fragrance.
- Onions. Duh! I use red onions (because they cause fewer gallbladder flare-ups for me) and green onions in our homemade French onion dip.
- Garlic. Garlic is also a delicious addition. You could use garlic powder if you can tolerate it. I personally use minced fresh garlic in everything because it seems to cause fewer gallbladder issues for me.
How to Serve the Vegan French Onion Dip
This vegan French onion dip is versatile and can be served a few ways.
- with wavy, or ruffled plain potato chips
- or try low-sodium potato chips if you’d like less salt
- as a dip for carrot sticks, cucumber slices, or celery
- with crackers (these grain-free crackers are totally delish with this dip!)
- on a grilled burger
- with french fries or sweet potato fries
- drizzled over a vegan, gluten-free pizza (or to dip the pizza in!)
You could even garnish it to make it look pretty with a sprig of fresh parsley, some chopped chives, or green onions. Or use your imagination and try it with anything you’d like!
How to Store Vegan French Onion Dip
This dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
It keeps well, so you can easily make it a couple of days in advance of when you want to serve it. Although we love to eat it when it’s still warm from the caramelized onions.
More appetizers and dips
Vegan French Onion Dip Printable Recipe Card
Vegan French Onion Dip from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup vegan (soy-free) mayo
- pinch of dried dill
- pinch of smoked paprika
- dash of black pepper
- splash of apple cider vinegar (optional)
- splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)
- splash of coconut aminos (optional)
- other seasonings to taste (*see notes)
Instructions
- Carmelize the onions.In a small saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil (and vegan butter substitute if using) and saute the diced onions until they're translucent. Include minced garlic with the onions if you're using that and not garlic powder.
- Gather your other ingredients. Gather your mayo and seasonings and mix them in a bowl.
Add the caramelized onion mix to the bowl and stir to mix well. If you don't want a lumpy or somewhat chunky dip, you can blend the dip in a food processor or blender to make it smooth. - Taste and adjust. Taste test your dip and adjust seasonings as needed. (See notes for ideas and variations.)
Notes
- Worcestershire sauce. If you're gluten-free, look for a gluten-free version.
HP Sauce. I like to use a "squirt" of this as it gives the flavor of Worcestershire sauce. It's not technically gluten-free but it has never bothered either my daughter or me. Obviously, don't use it if you're celiac! - Dijon mustard. I also love a little "squirt" of dijon in my dips and dressings for extra flavor.
- Smoked paprika. I use this in several dishes because it adds a nice smokey flavor.
- Dill. Dill is delicious in this dip and many other homemade dips and dressings too. You can use fresh or dried.
- Chives. Either dried or fresh chives are yummy.
- Parsley. Again fresh or dried works here and tastes yummy.
- Celery Salt. I don't typically use this, but you totally could.
- Apple cider vinegar. I'm not sure why, but apple cider vinegar also adds some depth to the dip. But just a splash!
- Balsamic vinegar. Another weirdo addition, but a splash of balsamic vinegar makes this dip extra tasty.
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos. I often add a tiny splash of coconut aminos to our French onion dip too. If you use soy sauce, adjust any salt you use accordingly. (Soy sauce is much saltier than coconut aminos.)
- Lemon juice. Instead of the vinegar, you could add a little splash of lemon juice. This is not in our regular French onion dip rotation though.
- Pickle juice. If you want a very dilly dip, try adding a splash of dill pickle juice. Kosher pickle juice is super tangy and delish. Or try sweet pickle juice for another variation.
- Salt. Go easy with the salt in this dip. I find it's magically salty on its own and tastes especially salty when it's served with potato chips.
- Pepper. Pepper adds a nice dimension to the dip. Sort of like a base note in a fragrance.
- Onions. Duh! I use red onions (because they cause fewer gallbladder flare-ups for me) and green onions in our homemade French onion dip.
- Garlic. Garlic is also a delicious addition. You could use garlic powder if you can tolerate it. I personally use minced fresh garlic in everything because it seems to cause fewer gallbladder issues for me.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 33Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily via Nutrifox.
Do you have a favorite comfort food snack? Are you a fan of French onion dip?
