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What Are the Best Tips to Make Dip with Sour Cream?

Cynde Gregory
Cynde Gregory

There is a world of possibilities when it comes to making dip with sour cream. These types of dips go great with crunchy and salty foods and are a snap to fix for drop-in company or a night in front of the TV. Some tips for making a memorable dip with sour cream are to keep the add-ins fresh, fresh, fresh and not to let the dip sit around for too many days once it’s been prepared.

Dip with sour cream is so popular because it is easy to put together and because sour cream doesn’t have a problem with most flavor combinations. Traditional dips that simply add a packet of onion soup mix make a dandy and quick fix, but anyone concerned with loads of sodium or other unhealthy additives can remedy this by using dehydrated onion flakes and a few shakes of some dried herbs. Finely minced onion works well too.

Onions, which can be mixed with sour cream to make a dip.
Onions, which can be mixed with sour cream to make a dip.

Sour cream and avocado have been in love with each other since the dawn of time, and a dandy dip with sour cream can be whipped together in no time just by combining them in a blender along with a little garlic and a squirt of lime. This dip is especially good with corn chips as well as with fresh veggies, such as baby carrots, celery, and sweet pepper slices.

Allowing flavors a little time to blend will create a better tasting dip.
Allowing flavors a little time to blend will create a better tasting dip.

For those looking to lighten the load without giving up all the fun, there are a number of ways to skinny up a fat dip. Switching to a lower-fat sour cream gives up fat calories but not a whole lot of flavor. Some home cooks use lower-fat sour cream and halve it with a few dollops of Greek-style yogurt. This not only drops the fat, but it ups the calcium.

Caviar dip with sour cream and fresh herbs.
Caviar dip with sour cream and fresh herbs.

Another good trick for dieters is to pump up the flavor of dip with sour cream by adding something to surprise the mouth. Contributing a finely minced hot pepper or a few shakes of curry powder to a lower-fat sour cream base makes a dip that will stop most nibblers in their tracks to holler some variation on “Yeeeaaahoooo!” Of course, these intensifiers work just as well with full-fat dip made with sour cream.

Sour cream inspired dips combine well with potato chips.
Sour cream inspired dips combine well with potato chips.

On the sweeter side, a wonderful tip for strawberries, bananas, or other fruit is easy to compose. Sour cream mixed with a little cream cheese and a drop of honey is all that’s really necessary. For cooks who are having too much fun to stop there, some chopped fresh mint or basil adds an unexpected high note of reverberating taste.

Discussion Comments

Lostnfound

A good sour cream fruit dip has brown sugar and vanilla in it. One fruit salad dressing I used had sour cream, some Greek yogurt, sugar, orange juice and orange zest. It was really tasty. I was glad I found that recipe. It was very refreshing.

I like a sour cream fruit dip, as opposed to the kind made with marshmallow cream. Those tend to be way too sweet and they overpower the fruit. The sour cream is fresh and doesn't compete with the fruit too much.

Grivusangel

Sour cream mixed with Greek yogurt also makes a great dressing for chicken salad. It's not as "slick" as mayonnaise.

I like a salsa ranch dip that combines dry ranch dressing mix, sour cream and chunky salsa. You might want to drain the salsa before putting it in the dip so the dip itself won't be too watery.

A local Mexican restaurant does a chunky jalapeno ranch dip that's sour cream based and it's too good.

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    • Onions, which can be mixed with sour cream to make a dip.
      By: Hyrma
      Onions, which can be mixed with sour cream to make a dip.
    • Allowing flavors a little time to blend will create a better tasting dip.
      By: angelo.gi
      Allowing flavors a little time to blend will create a better tasting dip.
    • Caviar dip with sour cream and fresh herbs.
      By: Betty Abrantes
      Caviar dip with sour cream and fresh herbs.
    • Sour cream inspired dips combine well with potato chips.
      By: nataliazakharova
      Sour cream inspired dips combine well with potato chips.