Whats the difference between French onion dip and regular onion dip?

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Most people are acquainted with onion soup in one form or another. It's the thing that makes the house smell like buttery, oniony heaven for about an hour while you make it, and the thing that makes you feel like all is right with the world when you eat it. A warm bowl of hearty soup after a long day is tough to beat, plus, it's so economical. ifood.TV says that the ease and low cost of growing onions made onion soups popular back in Roman times. The wide availability of onions made onion soup an accessible meal, even for people without much money.

There are two directions your onion soup can take – either French or English – and the ingredients make all the difference. Both French onion soup and English onion soup start with onions and a brothy base, and both have bread and cheese (via Erin Nudi). But, that's where the similarities end. If you've only had one of these varieties, you may be tempted to switch things up and give a new version a try. A few onion-induced tears are well worth the tasty result either of these soups will provide.

French onion soup and English onion soup look similar but are very different

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Both types of onion soup begin, of course, with onions. According to writer and blogger Erin Nudi, French onion soup will usually contain red and/or yellow onions, or the recipe won't specify. English onion soup will ask for a combination of white onions, red onions, shallots, and leeks. Jamie Oliver's recipe for English Onion Soup on Food Network encourages you to "get a hold of as many different types of onions for this soup as you can." The onions in Oliver's English onion soup and Julia Child's French Onion Soup on Food Network are both slow-cooked and caramelized. We could stop there because caramelized onions are pretty amazing on their own. But we're talking soup and that means broth or stock.

French onion soup almost always calls for beef stock or broth while English onion soup can be made with either beef, chicken, or vegetable stock or broth. Most French onion soups will also employ sherry, red wine, or (in Julia Child's case) cognac for flavor. Sometimes, English onion soup recipes will include Worcestershire sauce. Both versions usually incorporate woodsy herbs; thyme is common for French onion soup with sage being the choice for English. Next, we can get to the reason we're all really here: the bread and cheese.

The bread and cheese in your onion soup makes all the difference

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Let's be real. Sometimes, onion soup is just a vehicle for toasted bread and melty cheese. Luckily, both the French and English versions come with a hearty slice of crusty bread and lots of oozy, melted cheese. If one didn't, it would clearly be fighting a losing battle in the world of soup. French onion soup, naturally, calls for French bread or a baguette while English onion soup is happy with any type of stale bread. If you're an onion soup novice, the bread gets toasted and set on top of the soup, where it's subsequently showered with lots of cheese.

When it comes to that cheese, the French prefer Gruyere, Emmental, and/or Swiss cheese. According to Real Swiss Cheese, these are nutty-tasting cheeses and they tend to melt well. English onion soup generally calls for cheddar cheese which, according to Cheese.com, originated in England, although it's manufactured all over the world today. In either case, the cheese belongs on top of the bread, on top of your soup. The last thing to do is transfer your assembled bowls of onion soup to the oven for a quick blast under the broiler until the cheese melts and becomes bubbly. Although French onion soup and English onion soup have differences, there's no contest here. Both are welcome on our table anytime.

French onion dip is a party favorite dip recipe made from sour cream, mayonnaise, caramelized onions, garlic, chives and parsley. It’s creamy, full of herbs and guaranteed to get devoured pretty darn fast.

When it comes to party appetizers and dips French onion dip is a classic. Served up with potato chips or vegetable sticks, it always disappears amazingly fast. Some might say it’s highly-addictive. I just say it’s flavorful, creamy and delicious (and worth the second helping).

When I was a kid my mom would buy those those packaged dry onion soup mixes and stir into a bowl of sour cream and mayonnaise. It was easy, but not exactly fresh.

And when I was in college I’d buy the French onion dip in the green tub from the dairy section of the market (which, was even worse). Ingredients in that include: Sugar, Hydrolyzed Soy And Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Torula And Brewer’s Yeast Protein, Monosodium Glutamate, Food Starch-Modified, Gelatin, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Locust Bean Gum, Soy Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Yellow 5 & 6.

Yikes. Not so appetizing, eh? But good news! Once you make French onion dip at home and taste how fresh, savory and delicious it is, you’ll never buy it from the store again.

French Onion Dip Ingredients

There’s just a handful of ingredients in this recipe and a few potential variations, which I’ll mention below:

• Sour Cream: I always buy organic sour cream for the highest quality, but it’s up to you.
• Mayonnaise: My mom always added a little mayo in her French onion dip recipe so that’s what I do as well. And you can’t beat homemade mayonnaise for freshness.
• Caramelized Onions: Golden and sweet caramelized onions add so much flavor. Pro tip: you can make these ahead of time.
• Chives: Fresh chives are finely chopped for little flecks of green goodness.
• Parsley: Because more greens and herbs are always better.
• Salt and Pepper: You can season to your liking

Recipe Variations

While most of the ingredients are fairly standard, I understand not everyone’s a lover of mayonnaise. Therefore, you can always leave out the mayonnaise or substitute with:

• Greek Yogurt: It maintains the same consistency and adds a lovely tang (with a bonus of probiotics).
• Cream Cheese: It makes the dip thicker, creamier and cheesier.

Can you use dried herbs for the fresh herbs? I don’t recommend it. They just don’t have the same strength of flavor of freshly chopped herbs.

How to Make French Onion Dip

There’s really only two steps to make the best French onion dip: caramelize the onions and then mix the remaining ingredients together.

Caramelizing the onions is easy… but it does take a bit of time so just remember to plan for that. I’ve got a separate recipe that walks you through how to caramelize onions, step-by-step with a video tutorial. It’s worth the watch.

Mix everything together. After your onions and garlic have caramelized and cooled, add them to a bowl with the sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir everything together until it’s creamy and serve immediately with potato chips and veggie sticks or refrigerate.

Make the Dip Ahead of Time

The flavor of this dip intensifies and melds together the longer it sits, so feel free to make it a day ahead for a party, potluck, barbecue or gathering. It will also last for up to a week in the fridge if you have any leftovers, though that’s very unlikely. Trust me!

French Onion Dip Recipe Video

To make this amazing dip recipe at home, watch the step-by-step tutorial video below!

More Dip Recipes and Party Appetizers

Want some more munchies for a party? These recipes are reader favorites!

• Guacamole
• White Bean Dip
• Pico de Gallo
• Deviled Eggs
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball
• Stuffed Mushrooms

If you’ve recently made this French onion dip recipe, let me know how it turned out in a comment below! Your reviews will greatly help this community. 

French Onion Dip (Better Than Store Bought)

Homemade French onion dip is creamy, flavorful and fresh. Just a handful of ingredients are mixed together for a crowd-pleasing dip recipe! Watch the video above to see it come together.

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• ▢ 2 yellow onions, diced
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 2 cups sour cream
• ▢ ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ▢ salt and pepper

• Heat the butter or oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat and add the onions. Stir the onions for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low.

  

• Continue stirring the onions every 2 to 3 minutes, allowing them to caramelize on the bottom before stirring again. If they start to stick or brown, add a few tablespoons of water to rehydrate them and deglaze the pan.

  

• Continue cooking the onions for approximately 45 minutes or until they're cooked to your liking. When there's one minute left on the onions, add the minced garlic and sauté for one minute. For more help with the onions, you can watch exactly how to make caramelized onions step-by-step on my separate recipe post.

  

• Once the onions have caramelized, transfer them to a small bowl and place them in the fridge to cool.

  

• After the onions have cooled, add them to a mixing bowl with the sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir everything together until creamy and garnish with additional herbs.

  

• This recipe makes approximately 3 cups of dip. The perfect amount for a party! 

Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 92mg, Potassium: 126mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 430IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 0.2mg

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Recipe originally posted June 2019, but updated to include new information.