We love it when the kitchen becomes a lab for creativity and studio for expression. What is the kitchen if you don’t mix and match flavors? Like say, sweet gherkins and caramelized onions. Once the two heavy-hitter ingredients are finely chopped and mixed with a rich cream, you’ll find they create the most surprisingly delicous dip you never knew you needed.
How Can It Be So Easy? Making Our Sweet Pickle Dip
The other day, after work, I was looking for a delicious dip to go with one of my favorite meals, potatoe with cottage cheese and salad. It’s a quick and easy dish, nutritious and iflling, and perfect for those days when everything is running of course. But, it’s always nice to embellish and add flavor wherever and whenever you can. Rifling through my fridge, I saw potential in my crème fraîche, half-full jar of sweet gherkin pickles, and leftover red onions.
I love sweet gherkin pickles and caramelized onions, so I thought, why not combine the two? And what can I say? The dip turned out so delicious. It was, in fact, a surprisingly good combination that I didn’t know I needed. The caramelized red onions provide a wonderful sweetness in the dip, the sweet and sour gherkin pickles a delicious contrast, and the crème fraîche, of course, the creamy base.
But, a little bit of flavor goes a long way. I refined the dip with some dill from the freezer, salt, and pepper. It really made the flavors pop and brought a new angle to my old go-to meal! I can also imagine pink pepper and different salts bringing a pleasant nuance to this unsuspecting dip as well.
My potatoes with salad definitely got an upgrade thanks to this simple and sweet gherkin pickle dip. And I had a smile on my face all evening because of the unexpectedly delicious dinner I got to enjoy. But why stop at a weeknight dinner? I can also imagine the cream as a side dish for grilling, on a fresh onion baguette, or sprucing up a snack platter.
Summer is the season of creativity! With so much fresh produce available and so many get togethers, it’s the perfect time to experiment with new recipes. Our spicy BBQ bacon burger dogs with steak fries salad and grilled feta packets recipes are truly innovative. Plus, our three great grilling recipes for your next cookout collection will provide you with plenty of inspiration!
Sweet Pickle Dip
Ingredients
- ¾ cup red onions
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ cup sweet gherkin pickles
- 1 cup crème fraîche (Greek yogurt and a dash of heavy cream if not available)
- 1 tbsp pickle juice from the pickle jar
- 1 tsp dill fresh or frozen
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the onions and dice them finely. Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the onions until translucent. Add a spoonful of sugar to caramelize. Once golden brown, remove the onions from the pan and let cool.
- Meanwhile, dice the sweet gherkin pickles. Mix the crème fraîche with a dash of pickle juice. If crème fraîche is unavailble, simply substitute with a cup of Greek yogurt and dash of heavy cream. Fold in the sweet gherkin pickles and cooled onions. Finally, season the dip with dill, salt, and pepper to taste.