Lovers of French Onion Soup will LOVE this Vegan French Onion Dip - aka the vegan dip to beat all vegan dips! Caramelized onions mixed with a tofu base make for delectable caramelized onion dip for parties and gameday!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 75 minutes
  • Total time: 90 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Appetizer, Snack
  • Cuisine: French

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions:

  • 1 large yellow onion (,thinly sliced)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (, minced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter (or use oil)
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

For the cream dip:

  • 3 oz firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or use 1 teaspoon yellow miso
  • 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 2-3 tablespoons of the caramelized onions
  • green onion, pepper flakes for garnish

Method

  1. Make the caramelized onion in the Instant pot: (see recipe notes for stovetop instructions). Add 3 cups of water to your inner pot then use a large flat insert and add the onion. Keep them less than two layers thick otherwise the onions won’t caramelize. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat the onions really well. If some onions are still dry add some more vegan melted butter. Close the inner pan with either foil or the lid that comes with it.
  2. Then use a trivet and lower it into the inner pot. Close the instant pot lid and pressure cook for 1 hour. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then quick release. Open the lid and check on the onions. They should be cooked and somewhat caramelized. Remove the pan and the trivet. The onions should have caramelized. If there’s a lot of moisture, transfer to a skillet to cook for 2-3 mins to evaporate a bit.
  3. To make the cream dip, add the tofu, yogurt, 2-3 tablespoons of caramelized onions, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, nutritional yeast, and Worcestershire sauce to a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
  4. Adjust more tang by adding a little bit of lime juice and process again. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the remaining caramelized onions (swirl some of the onions into the dip). Top with pepper flakes and green onions and serve with crackers, toasted bread, veggies, etc.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.