Ready for happy hour? This platter is for you, loaded with veggies and a creamy red wine caramelized onion dip. It’s perfect for entertaining of all kinds!
Do you Happy Hour? It’s become an institution in my family. Every Friday night, my parents have “Happy Hour dinner” to wind down from the week, which consists of all sorts of amazing snacks accompanied by a craft beer or two. Typically there’s a few fancy cheeses, usually smoked salmon (their favorite), and a colorful array of veggies and fruits. When Alex and I are in town, of course, my mom reschedules Happy Hour dinner to make sure we’re in attendance. And it’s Alex and my favorite way to eat dinner when we have no energy to think: some cheese, crackers, leftover refrigerator veggies + wine = dinner! Keep reading for this happy hour caramelized onion dip and the cookbook that features it!
About the book: Platters and Boards
Given our love for happy hour, it’s no surprise that we’re over the moon excited for our friend Shelly’s new cookbook, Platters and Boards! The book is where this caramelized onion dip recipe comes from.
Shelly is the blogger behind Vegetarian Ventures and a dear friend of ours who lives about 1 hour away in Bloomington, Indiana. Last year, we shared a recipe from her first book, Vegetarian Heartland, this delicious Coconut Curry Shakshuka. Well, she’s already out with another stunning book, this one all about entertaining in style: well, happy-hour style, with beautiful, colorful platters of food.
The most delicious caramelized onion dip!
Shelly’s recipes and photography are always spot on, and this book is no exception. It’s vibrant and lush from cover to cover, with creative ideas for platters and boards for occasions large and small. There are boards of all kinds: Lazy Sunday Brunch Board, Date Night Spread, Movie Night Board, Grill Out Platter, Lazy Dinner Platter, S’mores Smorgasbord, and Black Tie Spread. Shelly brought on her boyfriend Wyatt to bring a meat-lovers spin to the platters, which is a fun touch.
To give you a preview from her book, we’ve chosen this Happy Hour platter with a luscious red wine caramelized onion dip. It’s rich and creamy, a bit of a special occasion treat for us–paired with potato chips it’s absolutely heavenly. To offset the richness, there are colorful vegetables of all kinds: plus tangy artichoke hearts and olives.
If this doesn’t have you happy by the end of Happy Hour, I’m not sure what would. It’s perfect for entertaining, including the holidays and New Year’s, or just a simple dinner party!
How do you caramelize onions?
So, how do you caramelize onions? It takes a bit of time, but it’s absolutely worth it for the flavor! Because the onions are finely chopped here, sauteing the onions takes only 25 minutes. If the onions are in larger slices, caramelizing onions can sometimes take up to 45 minutes to get that golden brown color! Here’s what to do:
- Finely chop the onions.
- Saute them for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown.
- Add the red wine and saute until the wine is cooked off, about 10 minutes more. That’s it!
Video: How to cut an onion
If you’re not confident about finely chopping the onions, we’ve got your back! Here’s a tutorial of me cutting onions in our kitchen. Not only is it a unique method, it’s time saving and will give you the confidence you need on how to cut an onion!
Order the book
Platters and Boards by Shelly Westerhausen
This caramelized onion dip recipe is…
This caramelized onion dip recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free (with gluten-free crackers).
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Caramelized Onion Dip
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
Ready for happy hour? This platter is for you, loaded with veggies and a creamy red wine caramlized onion dip. It’s perfect for entertaining of all kinds!
Ingredients
For the caramelized onion dip
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 large white onions
- ¼ cup red wine
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- Dash of freshly ground black pepper
For the Happy Hour platter
- 16 ounces potato chips
- 3 cups olives
- 8 ounces marinated artichoke hearts
- 16 ounces crackers, like these homemade crackers or crostini
- 6 cups raw vegetables (carrot sticks, celery sticks, radish slices, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, etc)
- 48 ounces cheese cubes
Instructions
- Make the caramelized onion dip: Finely chop the onions. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and saute for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Add the red wine and saute until the wine is cooked off, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat, add the salt, and let cool.
- Once cooled, transfer to a medium mixing bowl and fold in the sour cream, yogurt, and soy sauce. Season with pepper and more salt, if needed. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Make the Happy Hour platter: Transfer the dip, potato chips, olives, and marinated artichoke hearts into small dishes and place them on a large serving tray. Fill in the remaining areas on the tray with crackers, vegetables, and cheese cubes, Serve right away with serving spoons and toothpicks.
- Drink pairing: If you don’t already have a go-to drink for happy hour, serve a round of simple and classic old-fashioned cocktails. To make, mix 2 ounces (60 ml) whiskey with 3 drops Angostura bitters, a splash of club soda, and a sugar cube (or a splash of simple syrup) into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry and an orange peel for an extra pop of color.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Platters and Boards by Shelly Westerhausen.
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Caramelized onion dip, How do you caramelize onions, Dip Recipe, Entertaining Recipes, Entertaining, Happy Hour, Platter
Looking for more appetizer recipes?
Outside of this caramelized onion dip, here are a few of our favorite appetizer recipes:
- Whipped Feta Dip
- Baked Brie
- Easy Pinwheels
- Marinated Olives
- Healthy Loaded Sweet Potato Rounds
- Paprika Goat Cheese Spread
- Happy Hour Platter with Caramelized Onion Dip
- Pesto Grilled Cheese Dippers with Marinara
- Very Verde Cilantro Dip
- Baked Brie with Roasted Cranberry Sauce
- Cherry and Goat Cheese Crostini
- Easy Mango Salsa & Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Famous Tomato Dip with Grilled Bread
- Classic Homemade Hummus
- Watermelon Gazpacho
I love the colors in this healthy platter. What a treat it would make for a person like me who is following a strict diet plan. I would love to try this out for my diet dinner tonight. I’m sure I will love it and will be motivated to carry on the dietary plan.
Such a beautiful platter! I’m pretty sure I can eat the caramelized onion dip by the spoonful!
Thank you so much! Yes, the dip is so delicious — agree that it works by the spoonful, ha!
I absolutely want to make this for an upcoming group 70th birthday party. Curious, what kind of olives would you use for this platter?
We love Castelvetrano olives and I think they’d go perfect here.