Easy Onion Chip Dip From Scratch

One of my favorite snacks as a college student was chips with onion dip. My mom had always made it by mixing sour cream with the powdered Lipton mix, so of course that's what I did, too. Until I started thinking about what might be in that package. Here's what I found on the ingredients list:

Onions (Dehydrated), Salt, Corn Starch, Onion Powder, Sugar, Soy Sauce (Fermented Soybeans, Wheat and Salt), Caramel Color (Sulfites), Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup (Dehydrated), Yeast Extract, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate.

I don't know about you, but I have no idea what "disodium guanylate" and "disodium inosinate" are*, and what I do know about corn starch, corn syrup, and maltodextrin, I'm not really happy about. So for a while I gave up on my favorite snack, until I found this recipe using simple, healthy ingredients (most of which you could grow yourself, if you wanted!) I like to use organic herbs and spices and organic sour cream - but feel free to use whatever you're comfortable with.

I actually served this dip last Sunday, when we had friends over (who asked for the recipe, and inspired this post! So if you like this recipe, thank Monica for making me share it.)

French Onion Dip

2 Tbsp minced onion
2 Tbsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp each dried parsley, celery seed, and turmeric
16 oz sour cream
Blend dry ingredients and mix into sour cream. Can be served immediately, or refrigerate overnight to let flavors mingle.

*So I googled it, and it turns out disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate are food additives similar to (and often used in conjunction with) MSG, with similar possible side effects. No thank you!