Stir a packet of Lipton's dehydrated French Onion Soup mix into a cup of sour cream and you will get no complaints from me -- zero. I love the stuff. I grew up watching TV shows (Bewitched, the Beverly Hillbillies, Andy of Mayberry, Gilligan's Island, Patty Duke, the Flintstones, etc.), to the crackling sound of a bag of Ruffles as I readied each chip for a copious glop of this beloved stuff. Those were good times. There were obviously no calories in it, because I was a stick figure.
Nostalgic memories. We all have them. That said, times change, people change. I still love French onion dip made via the 1960's seasoning-packet-stirred-into-sour-cream method, but, I really, really, really love my 1980's amped-up version. It's easy enough to make -- no chopping, dicing or slicing (unless you want to go unnecessarily old-school rogue and caramelize onions to stir into it), but, trust me, it deserves to be served with pride and a slightly-cocky attitude, because, this made-from-scratch concoction is gonna have everyone asking for this recipe.
From California Dip in 1954 to French Onion Dip in 1960 -- Lipton cornered the market on it.
A bit about French onion dip, also known as California dip. It's an all-American sour-cream-based dip* for potato chips that is flavored with onion and other herbs and seasonings. Said to have been created by an unknown French cook in Los Angeles in 1954, it was intended to mimic the taste of French onion soup. The recipe became such a popular addition to the fare served in martini-drinking social circles, it got printed in a local newspaper. Shortly after, in 1955, the Lipton company promoted it on the TV show "Arthur Godfry's Talent Scouts", touting it as "Lipton California Dip", and followed that up with ad campaigns in supermarkets and on television. In 1959, the recipe was added to the Lipton instant onion soup package, where it remains today. By the 1960's, the name had transitioned to "French onion dip", as it remains today.
*Note: Mayonnaise may be substituted for the sour cream in order to turn the dip into a tangy sandwich spread, but, for the love of mankind, please do not add cream cheese to this dip.
No slicing or dicing, &, one step to classic chip-dip perfection:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon dehydrated, minced garlic
1 1/4 teaspoons dehydrated, minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste
~ Step 1. In a 2-cup food-storage container measure and place all ingredients. Give the mixture a thorough stir, then give it another thorough stir. In two three increments, stir in a small amount of Worcestershire sauce, to taste. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour, 4-6 hours is much better, and overnight is perfect.
Snuggle up on the sofa, tune the TV to some classic reruns...
... stick a chip in it & take a trip back in time:
Stick a Chip in It: Mel's Ultimate French Onion Dip: Recipe yields 1 1/2 cups classic chip dip.
Special Equipment List: 2-cup food-storage container w/tight-fitting lid; spoon
Cook's Note: A favorite of my children's generation (ranch dressing hadn't been invented when I was a child), if you liked my French onion dip (for potato chips), you just might want to give ~ Mel's Happy-Valley Hidden-Valley Ranch-Style Salad Dressing ~ (for veggies) recipe a try. It's kid's stuff!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)
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