Dining In - Caramelized Onion "Bacon" Dip

Caramelized Onion "Bacon" Dip - This Can't Be Vegan

On special occassions like Super Bowl Sunday it can be a challenge to come up with tasty vegan appetizers and side dishes that stack up against the competition of more traditional, though less healthy wings, nachos, and creamy dips. This incredibly rich and savory dip is a perfect addition to the Game Day feast. However, it would be wrong to call this healthy, so enjoy with moderation. I recently made this for a work event and people never knew it was vegan, with bacon in the name I can see why, but it was pleasing to see the taste had them fooled! You can find the specialty vegan products for this recipe at Whole Foods. I saw this recipe in a VegNews article called "13 Most Decadent Vegan Recipes Ever." You might recall I made another recipe from the list not too long ago - The Aurora Borealis. This one comes from a site called This Can't Be Vegan (see my earlier post about a delicious dessert recipe I tried). And now for the last link.. see the full recipe here :)

2 teaspoons Earth Balance margarine
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 lb. sweet onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar and it worked out fine)
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (or a pinch of dried thyme will do)
1/2 cup Tofutti sour cream
1/2 cup Veganaise (or Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Mayonnaise, yup it's vegan!)
1/3 cup Daiya shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup soy bacon bits (Betty Crocker Bacos or generic Stop & Shop Brand, found with the salad dressings)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat margarine and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sugar and salt. Cover skillet and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are a golden brown, being careful not to burn them. 

Creamy Mixture for Vegan Dip

Remove onions from heat. Mix in vinegar and thyme. 

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, vegan mayonnaise, cheese, bacon bits, and pepper. Add in the onions and stir. Transfer to a small oven safe dish, that can hold about 2 cups. Sprinkle a handful of cheese, if desired.

Cook for about 20 minutes, the dip should bubble and cheese will melt. Serve with pita chips, crostinis, or other dipping vessel of your choice. 

Caramelized Onion Facon-Bacon Dip - Before the Oven