Sizzled Tomato Dip is a Creamy, Smoky Delight
It’s made from fresh tomatoes, is gluten free, vegetarian and low fat. Score! Tomato Dip is awesome served with veggies, toasties or corn chips. It also makes a fab-u-lous salad dressing! Perfect on hearty kale, spinach and arugula or spread on top of chicken or fish.
It’s (almost) tomato season, and this fresh dip makes the absolute best of juicy, ripe tomatoes. Even if they aren’t juicy and ripe just yet. Here in Erieland, even in the dead of winter, we can find pretty decent plum (roma) tomatoes in the produce section. Sprinkling a little kosher salt onto the cut side and letting them set for a few minutes brings out the flavor of the tomato (instead of that cardboard taste.)
Tomato Dip takes it a tiny step further by quickly pan searing the tomatoes (and half an onion) to add an unmistakable smoky flavor. A little pan roasting, please!
First off, the hardware. (Affiliate links follow – see disclaimer page for details.) I have the best luck slicing tomatoes with a serrated knife. (Why, yes, it is the same one I use for my bread.) These tomatoes are plenty firm, so a regular chef’s knife would have worked, but that’s not always the case with tomatoes.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, for god’s sake, get one!
They are tremendously versatile, and it’s what gives the beautiful char here. The one in the pictures is a 10″ skillet. If you are buying your first cast iron skillet, buy the 12″ size – it’s even more versatile! Perfect for a couple of steaks or burgers, it gives you a little room to breathe. You can cook on the stove or pop it in the oven, and you can even use it on the campfire. Or so I’ve heard.
I really love my stick blender – I’d use the chopping attachment for this dip, but I’d need to do it in two batches. If you have one, a decent food processor is probably the way to go. You could use a food mill too, if that’s what you have. Tomato Dip is probably not going to work by hand.
Tomato Dip time!
Slice the tomatoes in half and sprinkle the cut part with a little Kosher Salt. Peel and cut a regular yellow onion in half. Warm your cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Drizzle a little olive oil in the pan while it heats.
When the pan is almost smoking, add the tomato and onion, cut side down.
Here’s the tough part: leave them alone! Don’t move them around, just let them cook. After a few minutes, take a peek under one of the tomatoes. If it is well seared, flip them over.
Let them cook for a few more minutes on the skin side. I left the root end of the onion on to keep the onion in one piece. Cut off that piece before processing.
Once they’re cooked on both sides, put the tomatoes and the onion in the chopper, blender or food processor.
Process for about 30 – 40 seconds, until very smooth.
Add the Greek yogurt and spices to the processor, and blend for another few seconds. NOTE: Smoked paprika is pretty strong – and a little goes a long way. If you love the taste, start with 1/2 a teaspoon and add more, a little bit at a time.
We like this pretty spicy, so we add the full amount of crushed red and cayenne – and sprinkle some more crushed red pepper on top to notify everyone that the Tomato Dip packs a little wallop. You’re welcome.
Sizzled Tomato Dip
Ingredients
- 4 each Small Roma or Plum Tomatoes (about 1/2 pound)
- 1/2 small Yellow onion, peeled
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- Kosher Salt
- 3/4 tsp Cayenne (Red) Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
Instructions
- Slice tomatoes in half and sprinkle cut side with kosher salt.
- Add olive oil and heat cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Skillet should be almost smoking before adding tomatoes and onion.
- Place tomatoes and onion in skillet, cut side down. Allow vegetables to cook!
- After 3 to 4 minutes, check to see if tomatoes and onion are seared. Once seared, move into food processor, stick blender bowl or food mill.
- Process for 30 to 40 seconds until vegetables are smooth.
- Add greek yogurt and spices. Process again to mix.
- Serve cold.
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