Skip to main content

Creamy Cauliflower Dip

3.5

(23)

Creamy Cauliflower Dip and Lettuce
Photo by Tara Donne, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell

Earthy and rich without being heavy or filling, this creamy vegetable dip is just the thing to whet the appetite without ruining it before a big holiday meal.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45 minutes

  • Yield

    Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients

1 medium head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds), florets and stem cut into 1-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Coarsely chopped parsley (for serving)
Baby romaine hearts and endive leaves (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pour water into a medium saucepan to a depth of 1/4"; add cauliflower and garlic. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until florets are very easily pierced with a paring knife, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion, cumin, and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

    Step 3

    Transfer onion mixture to a blender. Add yogurt, lemon zest and juice, reserved cauliflower, and remaining 1 tsp. salt and purée until smooth. With the motor running, add 2 Tbsp. oil in a steady stream until well combined. If dip is too thick, blend in 1 Tbsp. water at a time to reach desired consistency. Let cool to room temperature.

    Step 4

    To serve, spread dip in a wide bowl or platter. Drizzle with oil and top with parsley. Serve with romaine hearts and endive leaves alongside for dipping.

  2. Do Ahead

    Step 5

    Dip can be made 5 days ahead; cover and chill.

Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This chicken salad nails it—creamy, herby, and endlessly riffable.
Chicken breasts reach their full potential in this spicy, saucy stir-fry with blistered green beans.
This easy, one-skillet chicken stroganoff features tender chicken breasts, savory mushrooms, and a creamy Dijon-crème fraîche sauce—perfect for weeknights.
This garlicky shrimp scampi version of a classic bisque embraces the technique of blending seafood shells for a luxuriously silky and creamy end result.
Thinly sliced and cooked hot and fast, pork tenderloin is the juicy, cook-quicking weeknight champion of this vegetable-heavy stir-fry.
Bathe greens and chickpeas in a garlicky, tomato-enhanced broth. Stretch a block of Halloumi by grating and toasting it into a topping for the soup.
In this vegetarian stir-fry, crumbling tofu dramatically increases its surface area, all the better for absorbing heady spices.