Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

This dip is elegant summer party food. Think picnic, entertaining on the patio, outdoor concert on the grass, white wine, grown-ups, etc.  I had it for the first time at a party at my friend Lisa’s house a few weeks ago. Let’s just say, if an empty bowl is the sign of a good dish, this one’s a sure winner — it was the first thing gone from the appetizer table.

My friend, Kelly, was the one who made it so, naturally, I asked for the recipe. To my surprise, she told me it was the Sun-Dried Tomato Dip from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I have that cookbook (who doesn’t?!) and had passed over the recipe a hundred times. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of sun-dried tomatoes. But this dip doesn’t taste like sun-dried tomatoes at all — it’s just tangy and delicious and full of bright summer flavor. No wonder it was the best selling dip at the Barefoot Contessa store.

In true Ina Garten fashion, it’s a no holds barred recipe. Sour cream, mayo, cream cheese — you get the idea. (Deb from Smitten Kitchen said it best, the woman is “clearly trying to kill us.”) But it’s special occasion food and if you eat it with vegetables, there’s at least some virtue in it, right?

It literally takes ten minutes to make. You simply throw everything in a food processor and blitz to blend. And to make your life easier, I recommend making it a day ahead…it tastes even better when the flavors have a chance to mingle for a while.

Serve with flat bread, crackers, chips, veggies or all of the above. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for free to get new recipes by email.

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
Printable Recipe

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (so there’s no lumps)
½ cup sour cream
½ cup good mayonnaise (such as Hellman’s Real)
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts), plus a bit more for garnishing if desired

Directions

1. Place the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Blitz to blend well. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Let dip come to room temperature, garnish with sliced scallions if desired, then serve with flat bread, fresh vegetables, crackers, chips or all of the above.