The moment I hear a Lipton onion dip packet being ripped open, my response is Pavlovian. Even just writing about it, I can anticipate the result of savory dried seasonings hitting cold sour cream and feel my salivary glands working overtime. Such is my love for French onion dip, and all of its variations.
As a new convert to cottage cheese (well, really just Good Culture, but I’m trying!) and a general enthusiast of fun food trends, I was curious to see how the It girl of protein would fare in one of my beloved chip dips. I borrowed the hands-off technique employed by Andy Baraghani in his hit Slow-Roasted Onion Dip, roasting the sliced onions with a bit of water to help them steam into tenderness before browning. Let them cool (at least 15 minutes to prevent the dairy from curdling when combined) while you get the cottage cheese mixture going, then reach for a sturdy rubber spatula to scrape down the cottage cheese, crème fraîche (sour cream can sub in a pinch, but try it with the crème fraîche first), olive oil, water, and lemon juice as it all comes together in a blender (preferably high-speed). The whipped mixture should be almost airy with a hummus-like consistency.
The cottage cheese mixture joins the cooled-down onions and garlic (a.k.a. the secret sauce) in a big ol’ bowl before getting mixed together. Top the final dip with plenty of cracked black pepper for something that’s equal parts nostalgic, tangy, rich, and bright. Pair it with your favorite ridged potato chips (Ruffles, full stop) and give that dried packet mix a well-deserved day off.
