Name: Smoked Vidalia Onion Dip with Grilled Crudités
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup wood chips; 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped (about 2 cups); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme; 1.25 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 4 ounces cream cheese, softened; .75 cup sour cream; 1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; .5 teaspoon black pepper; .25 cup chopped fresh chives; 1 pound fresh thick asparagus spears, trimmed; 8 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed; 1 bunch multicolored baby carrots (8 to 10 carrots), trimmed and halved lengthwise; 1 bunch multicolored radishes (8 to 10 radishes), trimmed and halved lengthwise; 3 tablespoons olive oil

Smoked Vidalia Onion Dip with Grilled Crudités — Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Active Time:

15 mins

Grill Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Servings:

Forget everything you know about onion dip. While most onions are available year-round, Vidalia onions reach their peak season in the springtime. Delicious cooked or raw, these sweet Georgia-grown onions are the main source of flavor in our Smoked Vidalia Dip with Grilled Crudités. This creamy dip gets its depth from buttery smoked onions and pairs beautifully with spring vegetables that have been grilled just long enough to get a little charred but not so long that they lose their crunch. The onions pick up subtle notes of smoke from the use of wood chips.

Wood chips are an easy way to add an alluring taste to any grilled dish; some of the most common varieties you'll find are apple (with a mild, sweet flavor), hickory (with strong nutty notes), and oak (a great choice for grilling any protein and vegetables). We like to use applewood chips for this recipe, but any kind will do.

Ingredients

1 cup wood chips
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sour cream
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
1 pound fresh thick asparagus spears, trimmed
8 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 bunch multicolored baby carrots (8 to 10 carrots), trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 bunch multicolored radishes (8 to 10 radishes), trimmed and halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat grill to medium (350°F to 400°F). Arrange wood chips on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil; crimp all sides of foil to make a tightly sealed packet. Pierce top of foil several times using a knife (this will allow smoke to escape the packet). Place packet on unoiled grates; grill, covered, until smoke starts to appear, about 5 minutes.
Arrange onion on a large double-layered piece of foil; fold up edges of foil to make a "bowl." Drizzle onion with butter; sprinkle with thyme and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Stir to coat. Place onion mixture in foil "bowl" on unoiled grates; grill, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Remove onion "bowl" and wood chip packet from grill. Increase grill temperature to medium-high (400°F to 450°F).
Stir together warm onion mixture, cream cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire, pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt in a bowl until well combined. Fold in chives.
Toss together asparagus, snap peas, carrots, radishes, and oil on a large baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange carrots and radishes (cut side down) and asparagus on unoiled grates; arrange snap peas on a mesh or silicone grill mat on unoiled grates. Cover grill. Grill carrots and radishes, covered, until tender-crisp and grill marks appear on cut sides, about 3 minutes. Grill asparagus and peas, covered, turning or stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Serve grilled vegetables alongside dip.