Like most, I find onions are the backbone of every meal I make. With a little bit of olive oil and seasonings to taste, creating caramelized onions adds flavor to almost any dish. Let the mixture cook on low to medium heat as long as you want — the longer the better — but at least for 45 minutes. This week, I decided to throw this delectable staple into a homemade French Onion Dip. The recipe is vegan, but you can easily use sour cream instead of the cashew sour cream mixture. This recipe serves eight people and is easily doubled or tripled. Enjoy!

Cashew Sour Cream 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.

French Onion Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely diced caramelized onions, chilled or at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped chives
• Potato chips for serving
• 1 cashew sour cream mixture

Directions:

1. Stir together the cashew sour cream, caramelized onions, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cover and chill for one hour.
2. Garnish with finely chopped chives and serve with potato chips.

Note: Carmalize more onions than needed for this recipe. Store any extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. They can also be frozen for two months. They will garnish almost anything!