Forget Sour Cream: Add Onion Mix To This Creamy Base For Better Chip-Dipping

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Chips and dip are an easy party pleaser. Though sour cream is the standby base for many dips (alongside ruffle-style chips, which can withstand the weight of a heavy dip), consider swapping the creamy base for labneh for a better way to snack. 

Labneh is tangy, creamy, and thick, with a texture between that of yogurt and soft cheese. This "cheese" made from strained yogurt is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine and will provide the perfect base for your next batch of onion dip. In fact, you should be eating more labneh because of its probiotic properties and nutritional value. While it's similar to sour cream in terms of tartness, labneh is seasoned with salt, giving it slightly more of an interesting flavor profile than its sour cream counterpart. This existing saltiness is worth keeping in mind when deciding how to season your onion dip.

To prepare an onion dip made with labneh, simply use a 1-to-1 ratio of the cheese in place of sour cream, making sure to mix it thoroughly. Take a super simple three-ingredient green onion dip recipe to new textural and flavor heights by replacing sour cream with labneh. And make sure your chips, vegetables, and other snacks can hold up under the decidedly more dense dip.

Using labneh instead of sour cream as your base is a better way to make onion dip, as it allows you to customize the flavors and ingredients to your taste preferences. At its most basic, combining approximately 1 cup of labneh with a packet of dry onion soup mix (like this option from Amazon Grocery) makes for great, streamlined snacking.

For a more indulgent version, take inspiration from our luxe caramelized onion dip recipe. This calls for a base made with crème fraîche and mascarpone cheese instead of sour cream, but swapping labneh can be just as effective. To this, add a mixture of caramelized onions and shallots, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of salt to the labneh, noting that labneh is already lightly salted.

Try a twist on traditional chips and dip by using an assortment of crudité as your dippers. Raw carrots, cucumbers, celery, and broccoli are all ideal for pairing with an onion dip. Lean into labneh's Middle Eastern roots and serve your onion dip with pita or lavash chips instead of potato chips. Make your own air-fried or oven-baked vegetable chips for the best of both worlds. Knowing how heavy a labneh-based dip is, you'll want to make sure your chips are cut thick enough to handle the dip.