Sour cream dips make for easy holiday entertaining
Want to be popular this holiday season? Show up for a party with a creamy dip and something crisp for scooping it up.
What’s not to love?
Around the holidays, it’s almost essential to have quick and easy appetizers for drop-ins, potlucks or your own celebrations. When I started talking with my colleagues about creating easy, sour-cream-based dips for the season, I knew I was onto something, because I got a stream-of-consciousness lineup of ideas that began with: “You know what you could do …” and continued on and on until I realized the hardest part of creating the recipes was going to be winnowing down the options.
That’s because sour cream makes an ideal dip base.
My favorite old-school sour cream dip is onion. One of my guiltiest guilty pleasures is whipping up a batch using dried Lipton soup mix, although I admit making it from scratch is so much better-tasting. Nourish columnist Ellie Krieger’s Triple Onion Dip, with sauteed fresh onion, onion powder and scallion, is a great example. She, of course, makes it with yogurt, so it is better for you.
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For these five dips, however, we tried to think outside the box while keeping the recipes extremely simple. Each requires just one 8-ounce container of sour cream, but they all can be doubled or tripled. And you can substitute Greek yogurt if you like, but you may have to add a little water, too.
Each takes 20 minutes or less to throw together. You can make them in a bowl, but I do recommend that two of them go in a food processor for a creamier finish. Only one requires about a minute of stove time to bloom a little smoked paprika in oil.
Everything Salmon and Sour Cream Dip
Return to menuThis dip is the heartiest of our creations. Smoked salmon is flaked into sour cream that has been mixed with everything bagel spice mix, capers, red onion, scallions and fresh dill. (You can make the dip with whipped or softened cream cheese, too.) Serve this with Becky Krystal’s Air Fryer Bagel Chips or just buy a bag.
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Get the recipe: Everything Salmon and Sour Cream Dip
Creamy Kimchi Dip
Return to menuFor this big-flavored dip, add a little gochujang to sour cream, then blend it with well-drained kimchi and a touch of toasted sesame oil, lemon juice and salt. I like to use a food processor, but you can just finely chop the kimchi and make it in a bowl. It’s great with rice crackers and fresh vegetables.
Get the recipe: Creamy Kimchi Dip
Each of these next three dips has a secret power.
Share this articleShareDate and Blue Cheese Dip
Return to menuThis luscious dip hits all the right notes: Blue cheese gives it tang; dates, a little sweetness; and walnuts, some crunch. The sour cream pulls it all together. Serve it with sliced fresh apples or pears, dried apple slices or pita chips. Its secret power: Spread it on pork or chicken sandwiches.
Get the recipe: Date and Blue Cheese Dip
Loaded Potato Dip
Return to menuTraditional baked potato toppings — sour cream, cheese, bacon bits and chives — are combined in a bowl. Then, you can simply scoop it all up with thick-cut potato chips or warm fries. Its secret power: Use it for topping a baked potato or roasted smashed potatoes.
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Get the recipe: Loaded Potato Dip
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip
Return to menuJarred roasted red peppers make this recipe easy to pull together. Drop the peppers, smoked paprika bloomed in olive oil, sour cream and feta into a food processor and whir your way to a smooth dip. If you want it chunkier, finely chop the peppers and stir it in a bowl. We liked it with pita chips, carrots and radishes. Its secret power: Warm it up and it gets a second life as a savory sauce for roasted vegetables or meats.
Get the recipe: Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip
Not having a party? Keep in mind that dip for dinner is so hot right now. This is true in no small part due to Martin Short’s character, Oliver “dips are an actual meal” Putnam, on Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” The character’s passion for (almost) all manner of dip has led to Reddit threads as well as dip recipes and advice from publications and food bloggers around the country, including Food & Wine.
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But how do I know that these five dips will be popular?
After experimenting at home and loving the resulting recipes, I made a batch and brought them into the Food Lab for my colleagues to taste and offer suggestions. They swarmed over the dips. I made them again after incorporating their recommendations for a bit of this or that. Again, they swarmed.
Then, we made them a third time for the photo session, and I thought: People will have had enough of these dang dips. Nope, they were devoured again.
So, I guess it’s true: When I dip, you dip, we dip. And we love it.
We bet you have delicious sour cream dip ideas, too. If so, please share them in the comments.
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