Benedictine Dip
Derby Dippin’
Benedictine Dip is a Kentucky Derby Classic. There are many versions of this dip and many are very traditional.
This version of Benedictine Dip is my variation and it is simple to make and very delicious. My take on Benedictine Dip has grated onion, grated cucumber, and cream cheese.
It is best when it sits in the fridge overnight. I love serving it with cucumber slices and toasted baguette slices.
The full, printable recipe is below. Beyond the recipe is more information and tips you’ll want to see.
Full, Printable Recipe
Benedictine Dip
This dip is a Kentucky Derby Classic. Made with grated cucumber and onion. plus cream cheese and sour cream, this dip is fresh and delicious. I love to make it for a dip but you can make it thicker with a few adjustments to serve it as a delicious sandwich spread. While this dip is perfect for derby day, it is also a refreshing dip for the warm Summer months.
Ingredients
- 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
- 1 large seedless cucumber
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 heaping tablespoon of mayo
- 1 heaping tablespoon of sour cream
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 teaspoon of horseradish, or to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 drops of green food coloring (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon of Buttermilk Powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced green onions.
Instructions
- Peel your cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the center seeds.
- Grate your cucumber on a cheese grater, into a bowl because you want to use the pulp and the liquid. You should only have a couple of tablespoons of liquid. If there is excess, you may want to drain it before making the dip so that it is not too watery.
- Grate the onion into the same bowl, you also want the pulp and the liquid. Again, you only want about 1 tablespoon of liquid, if you get an extra juicy onion, drain some of the liquid so your dip is not watery.
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or the blender including the cucumber and the onion. Blend until smooth.
- Let the dip sit in the fridge for a minimum of four hours. Overnight is best. Top with green onions right before serving.
- *if you want to make this less of a dip and more of a sandwich spread, use two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese instead of one.
- I serve the dip with cut up vegetables, crackers, chips or toasted french bread. If you make the sandwich spread version, serve on white bread with the crusts cut off and thinly sliced cucumbers.
The Trick Is Grating
The secret to this smooth and delicious dip is grating a seedless cucumber and an onion. While you use a seedless cucumber, you still need to scrape out the mini seeds down the center.
My version of this dip uses both the juice from the onions and cucumbers as well as the pulp. Some versions of this dip have you drain the liquid and only use the liquid in the dip.
Other versions have you use only the grated portion and press out the juice.
I use both because I prefer the flavor of the onion and cucumber juice as well as the texture of the onion and cucumber. My version is more liquid and dip-able, but you can use an extra 8 ounces of cream cheese to make this more of a sandwich spread if you’d prefer.
This variation is included in the printable recipe above.
So Many Ways To Serve
I like to serve this dip with cucumber slices and toasted french bread slices.
I toast up my french bread slices with Olive Oil and Paul Prudhomme’s Veggie Magic Seasoning sprinkled on. I will link the seasoning here on my Amazon page.
Buttermilk Powder
As you will see, I use Buttermilk Powder for this recipe. You can omit this if you cannot find it but it is typically in the baking aisle near the powdered milks or you can buy it on Amazon as well.
This ingredient is great to have on hand for baking and for making other salad dressings and dips. I have a great recipe for a French Quarter Dressing that it goes great in!
The Benedictine Dip is also great as a salad dressing!
