Roasted Vegetables with Onion Dip and Herbed Ricotta

With natural goodness dressed in gorgeous colors, roasted vegetables with lighter dips are an ideal addition or alternative to a cheese and charcuterie board. When you caramelize sweet onions until they become even more so, you have the foundation for a delicious dip that’s perfect for entertaining, game days and marathons of a new show. Though it’s thick and richly flavored, this dip is a healthier alternative to most as the base is Greek yogurt.  The cooking process lends such depth to the onions that I keep the rest of the ingredients simple.  As the other accompaniment to the roasted vegetables in this recipe, I make a creamy herbed ricotta, which is a light, whipped dip with fresh herbs.

With such heartiness to the caramelized onion dip, I like to pair it with the deep flavors of roasted root vegetables such as tiny potatoes, small carrots, and buttery radishes. Bread and crackers can be paired with it as well. The caramelization process can take up to an hour, which gives you plenty of time to make the herbed ricotta and clean vegetables in between stirs.

Ingredients

Caramelized Onion Dip

2 large sweet onions (about 1 pound) such as Vidalia, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Creamy Herbed Ricotta Dip

1 cup whole-milk ricotta
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

How to Make the Onion Dip

When caramelizing onions, the key is to cook them moderately low and slow, as their natural sugars take a while to brown and develop a richer sweetness.  First I start the sliced onions over medium-high heat just to begin the softening process, being careful not to brown them.  Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add about half the onions.  Once they just start to soften, add the rest, and sprinkle with kosher salt.  

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring every few minutes, for about 45 minutes to an hour.  The onions need to remain in contact with the hot surface to caramelize, but if you find that they are cooking too quickly, adjust the heat accordingly.  As they cook, you can expect to see some browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add water, a tablespoon at a time, and scrape these from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as needed throughout the process.

Once the onions are caramelized, remove them from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Chop cooled onions and stir into Greek yogurt.  Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper.  Allow flavors to meld at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  If you make the dip ahead and refrigerate it, make sure to allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

How to Make the Herbed Ricotta

While the onions are caramelizing, there is plenty of time to make the creamy herbed ricotta dip.  Add the ricotta, olive, oil, lemon juice and salt to a food process or blender and process until creamy.  Stir in the herbs and allow flavors to meld for 30 minutes before serving.  The dip can be served cold or room temperature.

How to Roast the Vegetables

For the combination of tiny potatoes, small whole carrots, and radishes pictured, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Generally I seek out the tiniest potatoes so they can be left whole, but halve any particularly large ones.  The same is true for the carrots.  I prefer to halve the radishes, leaving any tiny ones whole.  

On three separate baking sheets, toss each kind of vegetable with enough olive oil to coat, then season with kosher salt.  Arrange any halved vegetables with the cut sides down.  

Put the potatoes in the oven first (bottom rack), as they will takes about 30 to 35 minutes depending on size.  After about 10 minutes, add the carrots and radishes to the oven as they will take about 20 minutes.  Shake the tray of potatoes and flip the carrots halfway through cooking.  The key is to check the vegetables and remove when they are tender and browned in spots but not mushy.  

Serve the roasted vegetables with the caramelized onion dip and herbed ricotta.