Charred Scallion Dip With Lemon and Herbs

By Alexa Weibel

Published May 20, 2020

  • Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Food Styling)
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes, plus chilling
Rating
4(944)
Comments
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This creamy scallion dip could be the cooler cousin of ranch dressing or sour cream and onion dip. Grilled scallions add smokiness, while fresh chives and raw scallions lend brightness to the tangy, herb-flecked dip. If you don’t have a grill or grill pan, you can broil the scallions in your oven. Once assembled, the dip benefits from chilling to round out the flavors. At least an hour works, but it's better after a day. It needs nothing more than potato chips alongside, but it’s also great with crudités, crackers, grilled vegetables, fried chicken or slathered on sandwiches.

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Ingredients

Yield:1¼ cups

  • 12 scallions, roots and tops trimmed

  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried dill (optional)

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil or other neutral oil

  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  • Potato chips, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

22 grams carbs; 79 milligrams cholesterol; 477 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 42 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 3 grams fiber; 471 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a grill or a grill pan over high.

  2. Step 2

    As pan heats up, prepare the scallion-herb mixture: Halve 2 scallions lengthwise, then slice very thinly crosswise. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in chives and dill, if using. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    On a baking sheet, toss remaining 10 scallions with the canola oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Working in batches if necessary, grill the scallions over high heat, turning occasionally, until deeply grill-marked and slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool.

  4. Step 4

    While the scallions cool, add the sour cream, cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, onion and garlic powders, and sugar to the medium bowl with the scallion-herb mixture.

  5. Step 5

    Thinly slice the grilled scallions, then add to the sour cream mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or ideally 1 day. (The flavor will deepen as it sits.) To serve, drizzle with olive oil. Serve with potato chips for dipping.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
944 user ratings
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Comments

Paul M

I made this with plain yogurt instead of the greek it called for, the dip had a lighter, scoop-able texture opposed to being more dense as others have mentioned. The last thing you want is a dip that breaks your chip. I also found the lemon to be a little too much. Next time I make this I will be omitting the zest as I thought the bitterness counteracted with the scallion and dill. Cilantro alongside the other herbs may also be a nice addition.

Kathryn

This dip was very thick and dense. It might need more yogurt than cream cheese but definitely more olive oil.

Isabel

A tip for cutting the grilled scallions: Take kitchen shears and snip them up in the bowl instead of using a knife. You can even keep cutting after the scallions have been mixed into the dip if the pieces are still too big.

BJ

Has anyone made this without sour cream and cream cheese? I want to make it lower fat. I think maybe a bit more lemon juice to make up for the lack of sour cream and perhaps some nut or regular milk to thin it slightly based on other comments. I would use it with crudites, which can stand up to a thick dip. Feedback would be very welcome.

Helen

You could use fresh ricotta instead of the sour cream and cream cheese.

aw

All the grilling isn't necessary. It is a lot more work for little return. Just use the ingredients fresh. And flip flop the amounts for cream cheese and sour cream/plain yogurt. Way less cream cheese. It makes it too dense. Just use a 3 way mixture that gives the consistency and taste that you prefer and matches what you are eating with it. Also less lemon. It overpowered everything. Maybe a splash of juice and def no zest.

Parker Nosey

I simply diced the onions and charred in a pan. No need to bust out the grill. I would double as it is pretty tasty and goes fast

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