Slata Tounsia - Tunisian Salad

Last updated October 2, 2024

Slata Tounsia, or Tunisian Salad, also called Salade Tunisienne, is a summertime classic in Tunisia.

Unlike most American salads that involve lettuce, there is no lettuce to be seen here, just tomato, cucumber, onion, apple, jalapeno peppers and a bright dressing that brings it all together and makes it irresistible. It’s simple, yet delicious.

It can be served as is as a side dish, or as it would be served traditionally, with tuna and hard boiled eggs, and olives, making it a well-rounded meal. I’m partial to the full-meal version, although my mom would probably be making fun of me since every time I call her and she asks what we’re having for dinner tuna, eggs, or both are probably involved. Hey, they’re good for you! Very mediterranean, you find lots of eggs and tuna in Italy as well.

The most classic version of the salad doesn’t include apple, even though many in Tunisia add it. We always add it because it gives such a happy and sweet element to the salad. I thought it sounded a bit strange at first, but it works really well.

Onion breath and how to avoid the worst of it

If you, like me, love onion but are hesitant to eat it raw if you have to go out in public anytime after, you know….”heyyyyyy guysssss I just ate onion!” you’ll be happy to hear that the dressing helps to cut the strength of the onion. Yes, you’ll still have some onion breath afterwards, but the vinegar and lemon in the dressing do wonders. If you really can’t deal with the onion breath, you can try soaking the onions for a few hours or overnight in the dressing (essentially making pickled onions) to cut their oniony strength even more. This salad I probably ate several times a week last summer when I was pregnant. I craved it but couldn’t deal with the onion breath afterwards, made me gag, haha, so we would leave the onions in the dressing for at least a few hours before finishing the salad.

To further reduce the after effects, I’m just going to go ahead and share some other ideas that I gathered off the internets and found to help. Nothing is foolproof, but it does help.

1. Brush your teeth. This might seem obvious, but the sooner you can brush your teeth after eating onions or other insulting foods the better.

2. Floss your teeth. Yep, just like brushing, get out all the stuff from the cracks for the cleanest and best chance at a fresh tasting mouth.

3. Swish mouthwash.

4. Chew gum.

5. Eat other fruits, vegetables, and bread afterwards.

6. Drink lots of water. I find lemon water to be especially pleasant and offsets the onion taste nicely.

7. Drink milk. Kinda like when you eat spicy food, drinking milk can help flush out the taste/spice faster.

While it might be overkill to do all, my comfy little routine became brushing and flossing immediately after, drinking lemon water a few times, and chewing gum and rebrushing teeth as needed.

Anyway where were we? Oh yes, making slata tounsia. Enough villainizing the onions, who are friends.

Recipe from the husband

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Slata Tounsia - Tunisian Salad

Serves 2 as a main dish or 3-4 as a side

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp / 10g apple cider vinegar

• juice from 1/2 a lemon

• 1 tsp dried mint

• 1 red onion, diced small

• 2 cucumbers, diced small

• 2 tomatoes, diced small

• 1 apple, peeled if desired and diced small, optional

• 8 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and diced small

• salt to taste

• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, for serving, optional

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine vinegar, lemon, and dried mint. Add the onion and mix to coat evenly. Allow to sit while you chop the rest of the vegetables and fruit.

2. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, apple, jalapeño peppers, and salt to taste to the bowl with the onions. Taste, adding more salt as needed.

3. To serve, drizzle with olive oil and arrange tuna and sliced hard-boiled eggs on top.

Jenny’s Notes:

• While red onion is the best in this salad (and the prettiest!), other types of onions work as well.

• red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or your favorite vinegar could be used in place of apple cider vinegar.

• 8 jalapeño peppers might seem like a lot, but as long as you’re careful to remove all the seeds the salad will have a light kick but should not be overly spicy. Since peppers can vary in spiciness even if they’re the same variety, it’s always smart to have tasted/used the peppers before consuming them raw so you know what you’re getting yourself into. That said, you could use other types of peppers, spicier varieties if you’re brave or milder if spicy isn’t your thing.

Yield 2-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

30 Min

Total time

30 Min

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Slata Tounsia

A classic Tunisian summer salad made of cucumber, tomato, hot peppers, onion, and sometimes apple with a bright and simple dressing served with hard boiled eggs, tuna, and olives.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 tsp / 10g apple cider vinegar
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 1 red onion, diced small
• 2 cucumbers, diced small
• 2 tomatoes, diced small
• 1 apple, peeled if desired and diced small, optional
• 8 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and diced small
• salt to taste
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, for serving, optional

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine vinegar, lemon, and dried mint. Add the onion and mix to coat evenly. Allow to sit while you chop the rest of the vegetables and fruit.
2. Add cucumber, tomatoes, apple, jalapeño peppers, and salt to taste to the bowl with the onions. Taste, adding more salt as needed.
3. To serve, drizzle with olive oil and arrange tuna and sliced hard-boiled eggs on top.

Notes

• While red onion is the best in this salad (and the prettiest!), other types of onions work as well.
• red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or your favorite vinegar could be used in place of apple cider vinegar.
• 8 jalapeño peppers might seem like a lot, but as long as you’re careful to remove all the seeds the salad will have a light kick but should not be overly spicy. Since peppers can vary in spiciness even if they’re the same variety, it’s always smart to have tasted/used the peppers before consuming them raw so you know what you’re getting yourself into. That said, you could use other types of peppers, spicier varieties if you’re brave or milder if spicy isn’t your thing.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

183.34

Fat

7.96 g

Sat. Fat

1.13 g

Carbs

28.25 g

Fiber

6.65 g

Net carbs

21.61 g

Sugar

17.75 g

Protein

3.27 g

Sodium

111.39 mg

Cholesterol

1.86 mg

Nutritional info is approximate. Based on 2 servings that includes apple. Not including tuna, eggs, and olives.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2021/7/2/slata-tounsia-tunisian-salad

Mediterranean cuisine, Tunisian dish, summer salad, slata tounsia, salade tunisienne

salad, side dish, main dish

Tunisian, Mediterranean

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Homemade Italian Dressing

Last Updated September 6, 2024

Simple goodness: Arugula tossed with Homemade Italian Dressing

Have you ever thought to make homemade Italian dressing? I certainly hadn’t, until this summer, as it’s usually something I buy. Why bother making it homemade when it’s cheap and I really don’t use it that often? Except for pasta salad, and I’ve been allll about the pasta salads this summer.

First I wanted the classic creamy pasta salad (dressing made with mayo and mustard), then the Italian dressing pasta salad, then I started going off and making up my own, like this Greek Pasta Salad I posted a couple weeks ago. But you know what’s ironic? You can’t find Italian dressing in Italy. Italian dressing is very American. Italians dress their salads with a quality olive oil, salt and pepper, generally speaking. One time I was in Switzerland grocery shopping and saw American dressing. I’m American and had no idea what it was. It was creamy, maybe like Ranch? Haha. I was amused. I wonder if that’s how Italians feel about Italian dressing.

Being in Italy with no Italian dressing ready made at the store, I figured I would see if I could find a homemade recipe. Surreeee there are plenty on the interwebs! And easy enough ingredients, you probably have them all on hand, as I did. Olive oil, vinegar, some spices…I looked at several different recipes, looked up the ingredients for “classic” Kraft Italian dressing, and combined a few of them to create a bit of my own version. It’s tangy and got the job done! Success. Made a delicious pasta salad and had a bit leftover even to dress some regular ol’ salads.

It probably won’t taste exactly like the store bought version, but maybe better if you’re not a die-hard Kraft fan? Some of the ingredients listed on the Kraft Zesty Italian dressing are a bit vague, like “spice,” which can be hard to replicate, but the bright side is that you can control the quality and freshness of ingredients going into your dressing. Better yet, no preservatives at all!

Great for salads, pasta salad, marinades for all types of proteins!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Kraft, Five Heart Home, and the Whole Cook

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Homemade Italian Dressing

Makes about 1 cup dressing

I clearly need to figure out how to attractively photograph liquids…and find my whisk. (Recently moved apartments.) But hey, forks work, too!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup / 168g extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup / 60g red or white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp / 5g lemon juice

• 1 tsp / 7g honey

• 3/4 tsp dried basil

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 cup / 25g grated parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Whisk or shake all ingredients together; taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

2. Store in fridge, shake well before using.

Jenny’s Notes:

• This is one of those very versatile and very easily adjustable recipes, no one says you have to follow this one to a T! If you don’t have red or white wine vinegar, use what you have on hand. Even the olive oil can be switched out for what you have. While olive oil will give you the heartiest flavor, technically Kraft uses a bunch of rather junkier oils that don’t add much to the flavor profile (soybean, canola), but oils do tone the vinegar in dressings/vinaigrettes. The spices can be upped if you want a very zesty dressing, or you can add another teaspoon of honey to help tone it down a bit.

• You could also finely dice red bell pepper to add to this instead of the crushed red pepper, but that seemed like more work than I wanted to put in for this “whip up” type recipe. Plus, I like the touch of added spice, even if not original.

Yield 8

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Total time

10 Min

Print

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Homemade Italian Dressing

Homemade zesty Italian dressing is simple, uses pantry ingredients, and doesn't have any preservatives like store-bought versions.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup / 168g extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup / 60g red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp / 5g lemon juice
• 1 tsp / 7g honey
• 3/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup / 25g grated parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

1. Whisk or shake all ingredients together; taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
2. Store in fridge, shake well before using.

Notes

• This is one of those very versatile and very easily adjustable recipes, no one says you have to follow this one to a T! If you don’t have red or white wine vinegar, use what you have on hand. Even the olive oil can be switched out for what you have. While olive oil will give you the heartiest flavor, technically Kraft uses a bunch of rather junkier oils that don’t add much to the flavor profile (soybean, canola), but oils do tone the vinegar in dressings/vinaigrettes. The spices can be upped if you want a very zesty dressing, or you can add another teaspoon of honey to help tone it down a bit.
• You could also finely dice red bell pepper to add to this instead of the crushed red pepper, but that seemed like more work than I wanted to put in for this “whip up” type recipe. Plus, I like the touch of added spice, even if not original.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

204.62

Fat

21.89 g

Sat. Fat

3.39 g

Carbs

1.58 g

Fiber

0.14 g

Net carbs

1.44 g

Sugar

0.75 g

Protein

0.98 g

Sodium

202.78 mg

Cholesterol

2.69 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 8 servings of 2 Tbsp each and includes parmesan cheese.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/7/26/italian-dressing

Homemade Italian dressing recipe, copycat Zesty Kraft Dressing, Greek dressing

Condiment

American

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Greek Pasta Salad

It’s August. It’s hot. I’ve already made all the different classic versions of pasta salad and have moved on to making up my own versions. Hot dishes are out when hot weather is in!

Well, most of the time. I say this a bit sheepishly as I’m about to eat a big plate of aglio, olio, peperoncino pasta. That’s not only hot, it’s also lightly spicy. It’s about 100°F out and no, we don’t have air conditioning. Sometimes you just know what you want to eat (especially as a pregnant person) and that’s ok. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. :D

I’ve also been really into Greek everything. I’ve been making lots of Greek wraps, Greek salads, learned what a traditional Greek salad is, and made a 7+ layer Greek dip! I’ll have a recipe up for the Greek dip soon, it’s very easy to whip up and nutritious to boot! And if you hadn’t already noticed, today’s recipe is a Greek pasta salad! I actually saw a similar idea to this on Instagram recently and decided I needed to eat that. I noticed the recipe used a dressing with ingredients similar to what we’d call Italian dressing in America (oil, vinegar, basil, oregano, garlic, etc) and I decided I wanted to try a hummus dressing. And it was delicious! Hummus mixed with some plain yogurt makes for a creamy and wonderful twist to this pasta salad. You can make homemade hummus, or use whatever brand and flavor you prefer!

Enjoy, my friends, and stay cool!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

A recipe by Jenny Nicole

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Greek Pasta Salad

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 8oz / 250g short pasta of choice, fusilli, penne, shells, etc.

• 3/4 cup / 185g plain yogurt

• 3/4 cup / 185g hummus, flavor of choice

• 1 Tbsp / 14g red wine vinegar

• 1/4 tsp dried oregano

• 1/4 tsp dried basil

• 1 cucumber, diced

• 1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 cup / 90g pitted kalamata olives, sliced if large

• 1 cup / 150g cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

• 2/3 cup / 100g crumbled feta cheese

• salt and pepper, to taste

• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, for finishing

Directions:

1. Cook pasta one minute less than according to directions, nicely al dente, drain and rinse in cold water to stop pasta from continuing to cook. Cool in fridge while you make dressing.

2. In a large bowl, stir together yogurt, hummus, vinegar, and spices.

3. Add pasta, all the chopped vegetables, and cheese; stir until everything is evenly coated in dressing. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

4. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. The longer the pasta sits the more the flavors will meld and the sauce be absorbed by the pasta, creating the ideal pasta salad! Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil.

Jenny’s Notes:

• If you have fresh herbs on hand, you can use about 1 tsp each of finely chopped fresh basil and fresh oregano!

• The quantity of vegetables is really up to you and easy to adjust in simple recipes like this, measurements are approximate.

• While you might think Greek yogurt would be better adapted to this “Greek” pasta salad, plain/soupier yogurt actually works better because as the pasta sits, it absorbs the dressing. If you use already thick Greek yogurt, the dressing will probably end up too thick. If Greek yogurt is all you have, you can simply add a few tablespoons of water or milk to thin up the dressing to your liking. This can also be done if you make/buy a particularly thick brand of hummus, or just want the dressing thinner anyway!

• The photos you see in this post I actually used a gluten-free penne pasta made from red lentils and brown rice. I had never tried it before but it is an excellent pasta, I would never have known it’s gluten-free. Probably also because it was made by my favorite pasta brand here in Italy, Rummo. If you live here or can find it in the States, I highly recommend it! Although I think I’ve only seen it at World Market for way more than I pay here in Italy. Bummer.

Yield 3-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

40 Min

Print

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Greek Pasta Salad

A twist on the classic pasta salad with a creamy, herbed hummus dressing, vegetables, and Feta cheese.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 8oz / 250g short pasta of choice, fusilli, penne, shells, etc.
• 3/4 cup / 185g plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup / 185g hummus, flavor of choice
• 1 Tbsp / 14g red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup / 90g pitted kalamata olives, sliced if large
• 1 cup / 150g cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 2/3 cup / 100g crumbled feta cheese
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, for finishing

Instructions

1. Cook pasta one minute less than according to directions, nicely al dente, drain and rinse in cold water to stop it from continuing to cook. Cool in fridge while you make dressing.
2. In a large bowl, stir together yogurt, hummus, vinegar, and spices.
3. Add pasta, all the chopped vegetables, and cheese; stir until everything is evenly coated in dressing.
4. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. The longer the pasta sits the more the flavors will meld and the sauce be absorbed by the pasta, creating the ideal pasta salad! Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil.

Notes

If you have fresh herbs on hand, use about 1 tsp each of finely chopped fresh basil and fresh oregano! The quantity of vegetables is really up to you and easy to adjust in simple recipes like this, measurements are approximate. While you might think Greek yogurt would be better adapted to this “Greek” pasta salad, plain/soupier yogurt actually works better because as the pasta sits, it absorbs the dressing. If you use already thick Greek yogurt, the dressing will probably end up too thick. If Greek yogurt is all you have, you can simply add a few tablespoons of water or milk to thin up the dressing to your liking. This can also be done if you make/buy a particularly thick brand of hummus, or just want the dressing thinner anyway!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

486.29

Fat

26.16 g

Sat. Fat

8.20 g

Carbs

46.18 g

Fiber

7.25 g

Net carbs

38.93 g

Sugar

8.71 g

Protein

18.81 g

Sodium

779.53 mg

Cholesterol

33.37 mg

Nutritional information is approximate; based on 3 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/7/18/greek-pasta-salad

Pasta salad, cold pasta, summer pasta, summer dish, Greek, hummus dressing

Pasta, Side dish

American

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Copycat Homemade Lipton Onion Dip

Last Updated September 4, 2024

What if I told you that there is a way to enjoy Onion Dip but with less guilt? No preservatives, corn syrup, caramel color, and other ingredients you’re not quite sure what they are?

Because there IS a way! And it’s very simple. Not that you get much simpler than mixing sour cream with a Lipton onion packet, but it’s pretty darn close.

For this recipe I use yogurt, as I do even if I mix a Lipton packet, because yogurt is actually good for you, sour cream is usually more found on diet naughty lists.

I first made this during lockdown, and while I couldn’t find beef broth granules, just “classic” powdered broth, it came out satisfactorily close to the real thing. As I was explaining on the Healthier Lipton Onion Dip post, I had inherited two Lipton onion mixes from a friend who moved away from Florence. My husband had never had such a thing before and requested it again. When he requested it a third time, I had to break it to him gently…”honey, there were only two packets, and I don’t think we can find Lipton around Florence.”

Since people requesting a specific food/dessert/recipe from me to make is like a love language for me, I was not about to let a request go unfulfilled. So I began a hunt for the necessary ingredients and a recipe to go off of that doesn’t just make bulk powdered onion mix (there are many of those but I don’t make Onion dip all THAT often) but just a recipe for the standard 16oz/two cups of dip.

Thanks to Daring Gourmet for providing just that! Recipe with a few of my usual tweaks below.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Copycat Lipton Onion Dip

Makes about 2 cups of dip

Ingredients:

• 2-4 tsp beef broth granules

• 2 Tbsp dried minced onions

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 1/8 tsp paprika

• 16oz / 454g regular or Greek plain yogurt

• fresh or dried dill, more dried minced onions, for topping, optional

• washed sliced veggies, potato chips, etc, for dipping

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tsp of broth granules with the rest of the spices.

2. Stir in the yogurt and mix well. Taste; if you desire the dip to be saltier, add another teaspoon of broth granules and stir. Taste again, adding the last teaspoon of broth, if desired. Refrigerate for about two hours before serving.

3. Top with dill and more onions, if desired, and serve with veggies, potato chips, pita, or whatever dippers you like!

Jenny’s Notes:

• While beef broth is probably closest to the real taste, I have never found beef broth granules here in Italy and get away with using the “classic” broth flavor or even vegetable broth granules. It still tastes delicious! Check labels for MSG, it often gets sneaked into these types of things.

• If using low-sodium broth granules you will be better able to control the sodium, and can even add a bit more broth for more flavor without the dip becoming too salty.

• The refrigeration is not strictly necessary, but it gives some time for the flavors to meld and the onions to rehydrate a bit. If you simply can’t wait that long to dig in or need it ASAP for a party, go ahead and use it straight away.

• 1/8 tsp celery seed, and 1/4 tsp dried parsley can also be added. I don’t usually add them just because I don’t have celery seed on hand here and don’t personally think dried parsley adds any kind of flavor value to dishes. It does add a touch of green, though!

Yield 4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Total time

10 Min

Print

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Copycat Lipton Onion Dip

Classic Lipton Onion Dip made from scratch, creating a delicious and nutritious snack to be served with veggies, potato chips, or your favorite dippers.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2-4 tsp beef broth granules
• 2 Tbsp dried minced onions
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 16oz / 454g regular or Greek plain yogurt
• fresh or dried dill, more dried minced onions, for topping, optional
• washed sliced veggies, potato chips, etc, for dipping

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tsp of broth granules with the rest of the spices.
2. Stir in the yogurt and mix well. Taste; if you desire the dip to be saltier, add another teaspoon of broth granules and stir. Taste again, adding the last teaspoon of broth, if desired. Refrigerate for about two hours before serving.
3. Top with dill and more onions, if desired, and serve with veggies, potato chips, pita, or whatever dippers you like!

Notes

• While beef broth is probably closest to the real taste, I have never found beef broth granules here in Italy and get away with using the “classic” broth flavor or even vegetable broth granules. It still tastes delicious! Check labels for MSG, it often gets sneaked into these types of things.
• If using low-sodium broth granules you will be better able to control the sodium, and can even add a bit more broth for more flavor without the dip becoming too salty.
• The refrigeration is not strictly necessary, but it gives some time for the flavors to meld and the onions to rehydrate a bit. If you simply can’t wait that long to dig in or need it ASAP for a party, go ahead and use it straight away.
• 1/8 tsp celery seed, and 1/4 tsp dried parsley can also be added. I don’t usually add them just because I don’t have celery seed on hand here and don’t personally think dried parsley adds any kind of flavor value to dishes. It does add a touch of green, though!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

89.67

Fat

1.93 g

Sat. Fat

1.17 g

Carbs

11.95 g

Fiber

1.33 g

Net carbs

10.61 g

Sugar

9.31 g

Protein

6.84 g

Sodium

105.53 mg

Cholesterol

6.81 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1/2 cup dip with 1 cup sliced veggies.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/5/30/copycat-lipton-onion-dip

Lipton Onion soup mix, Lipton Onion dip, French onion dip, copycat Lipton onion dip, beef broth, yogurt, veggie dip

appetizer

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Healthier Lipton Onion Dip

Last Updated September 3, 2024

Lipton Onion Dip. Too easy to whip up, pop open a bag of potato chips, and have a summer favorite ready to rock and roll.

Unfortunately, it’s not very healthy. At all. Reading the ingredients usually leaves me wishing I hadn’t so I can enjoy my snacking in peace. Then the recipe on the side of the Lipton box has you mix it with a tub of sour cream and dip potato chips. Yum. But ouch.

I have actually eaten this very few times in my life, growing up in a “healthy” household (thankful for that!) usually meant if I was eating onion dip, someone else had made and brought it to a party. But recently, when a friend moved away from Florence and gave me a few boxes of stuff and food, I found myself with two packets of Lipton Onion soup/dip mix. Not part of my usual diet, but hey, I’m not one to turn my nose up at free food, being an overly-budget minded person. Plus, part of the fun of having a non-American husband is getting to share with him all the joys and junk foods of America that you just can’t find in the rest of the world. Heck, Lipton probably has some ingredients that are banned in the EU, haha! And you know what? He loved it. And requested it again.

How to healthify Lipton Onion dip? Not too hard. Doesn’t cure all the wonky ingredients, but let’s say we’re righting two of three wrongs. ;)

First, potato chips are delicious, but so are veggies dipped in onion dip! Honestly, if you are an onion dip lover, you’ve probably figured this out a long time ago.

Second easy way to healthify it? Use yogurt instead of sour cream. Regular and Greek both work, as the dip thickens as it sits. (Does anyone ever actually make it the full two hours it’s supposed to sit in the fridge before eating?) I might even like it better than sour cream! Not to mention that sour cream is usually only found in the tiny Mexican food section at my local grocery store. And not refrigerated. Weird.

If you’d like a completely guilt-free Onion Dip snacking experience, try out this Copycat Lipton Onion Dip, made from scratch!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Healthier Lipton Onion Dip

Makes about 2 cups of dip

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Lipton onion soup/dip

• 16 oz / 454g plain Greek or regular yogurt

• Washed and sliced veggies, carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, bell peppers, etc etc

• Fresh or dried dill and onion powder, optional

Directions:

1. Add Lipton onion dip to yogurt and mix well.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, to thicken and let flavors meld.

3. Top with dill and a dash or two of onion powder, if desired, and serve with veggies. And maybe just one or two potato chips. :)

Yield 2 cups dip

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

5 Min

Total time

5 Min

Print

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Healthier Lipton Onion Dip

A healthier version of the classic Lipton Onion dip, by mixing with yogurt instead of sour cream and using veggies instead of potato chips!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 packet Lipton onion soup/dip
• 16 oz / 454g plain Greek or regular yogurt
• Washed and sliced veggies, carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, bell peppers, etc etc
• Fresh or dried dill and onion powder, optional

Instructions

1. Add Lipton onion dip to yogurt and mix well.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, to thicken and let flavors meld.
3. Top with dill and a dash or two of onion powder, if desired, and serve with veggies. And maybe just one or two potato chips. :)

Nutrition Facts

Calories

112.03

Fat

1.92 g

Sat. Fat

1.16 g

Carbs

16.91 g

Fiber

1.72 g

Net carbs

15.19 g

Sugar

9.36 g

Protein

7.33 g

Sodium

873.86 mg

Cholesterol

6.81 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings of 1/2 cup dip with 1 cup of vegetables.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/5/29/healthier-lipton-onion-dip

Lipton Onion soup dip, Onion dip, yogurt, onion, veggie dip, yogurt veggie dip, healthier lipton dip

Appetizers

American

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Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwich

Last Updated August 28, 2024

Some of the best things in life are the simplest things. A simple gesture of love, a simple word of appreciation, a simple day off, a simple meal.

What is it that makes simple, special? The intent, or quality behind the simpleness. A simple gesture of love done with purity of heart, a simple word of appreciation that is genuine, a simple day off with no stress to go and be, a simple meal with quality ingredients.

It’s this last idea that I’m honing in on today. A meal so simple it almost seems boring. Until you eat it, and all you want for dinner is the same thing. And lunch again the next day. This happened to me this past week with a fresh mozzarella and tomato sandwich on focaccia.

You know when you’re so hungry and everything tastes extra amazing? Then it keeps coming to mind, even if it was a humble meal, until you eat it again? One time, I think it was last summer, I unexpectedly had to go into the city center and didn’t have time to eat lunch beforehand. I live about a half-hour bus ride outside of the center, then when you add in the time spent waiting for a bus, walking all around the center to accomplish errands, then waiting and getting a bus back home, simple 1 or 2 errand runs can easily end up being 3+ hour ventures. Having missed lunch and still needing to go to the other side of town, my husband and I decided to get a quick sandwich from a bar. This is a very common lunch, with all the bars (where you eat breakfast, lunch, get a coffee) replacing their morning pastries with fresh sandwiches starting around 10:30am. These are a hot option for Italians on lunch break or as a quick snack. There are usually two sizes, and they often have just 2-3 ingredients each. Probably a slice of meat and cheese, like mortadella (which is the cooked prosciutto/ham) and mozzarella, or tuna and boiled egg, prosciutto and cheese, etc. They’re simple, and maybe because I’m used to the super stuffed American sandwiches they seemed a bit measly to me. (But much more affordable and realistic for a lunch on the go, costing between 2.5-4euro usually, where an American sandwich would probably run you $6-10.) Until this particular day, and it suddenly became the best tasting sandwich ever. Fresh mozzarella and tomato with a bit of dried oregano sandwiched between two fluffy piece of salty, oily focaccia. I immediately wanted another. Alas we were already on the bus to the other side of town.

So the other day I was thinking, what’s for lunch? And this tomato and mozzarella sandwich kept haunting my thoughts. A run to the grocery store produced all the necessary missing ingredients, and within a matter of minutes I was devouring this dream of a sandwich. And it was so much better than I remembered. I had it again the next day for lunch. And maybe again tomorrow, using up the last of the cheese and tomatoes.

In fact, it’s very similar to caprese, it's simply in sandwich form without the fresh basil. To read up on using the best ingredients for caprese salad (that also apply to today’s sandwich), click here.

I feel weird calling this a recipe because it’s so simple, so I shall say, here is the recreation of the Italian bar Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwich!! Quality of ingredients is of utmost importance. Quantity and exact measurements are not.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Inspired by the Italian bar sandwiches

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Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwich

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of focaccia

• 1 large heirloom tomato

• 200g fresh mozzarella

• dried oregano

• extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Slice each focaccia to make halves for a sandwich.

2. Core tomato and slice. Slice the mozzarella.

3. Arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on two of the focaccia halves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Voila! Buon appetito.

Jenny’s Notes:

• I used schiacciata the first time I made this (the Tuscan variant of focaccia, usually with a bit more oil that renders it crispier), but a slightly softer focaccia would be best for sandwiches, easier to slice and eat. Buy or make your own at home!

• Other Italian bar sandwich ideas include: Prosciutto and asiago, mortadella and asiago, bresaola with arugula and gran padano, tuna with hard boiled eggs, mayo, and tomato, smoked salmon with arugula and mayo. Some of these ingredients might be harder to find outside of Italy, but if you live or visit here, these are great ideas for a quick lunch and readily found in grocery stores.

Yield 2

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Total time

10 Min

Print

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Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwich

A sandwich inspired by the typical Italian bar: Thick slices of fresh mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of oregano stuffed between two soft slices of focaccia.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of focaccia
• 1 large heirloom tomato
• 200g fresh mozzarella
• dried oregano
• extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Slice each focaccia to make halves for a sandwich.
2. Core tomato and slice. Slice the mozzarella.
3. Arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on two of the focaccia halves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Voila! Buon appetito.

Notes

I used schiacciata the first time I made this (the Tuscan variant of focaccia, usually with a bit more oil that renders it crispier), but a slightly softer focaccia would be best for sandwiches, easier to slice and eat. Buy or make your own at home! Other Italian bar sandwich ideas include: Prosciutto and asiago, mortadella and asiago, bresaola with arugula and gran padano, tuna with hard boiled eggs, mayo, and tomato, smoked salmon with arugula and mayo. Some of these ingredients might be harder to find outside of Italy, but if you live or visit here, these are great ideas for a quick lunch and readily found in grocery stores.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

462.69

Fat

29.57 g

Sat. Fat

12.13 g

Carbs

26.07 g

Fiber

2.33 g

Net carbs

23.74 g

Sugar

4.25 g

Protein

23.83 g

Sodium

834.01 mg

Cholesterol

64.09 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 2 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/9/18/fresh-mozzarella-and-tomato-sandwich

sandwich, panino, mozzarella fresca, pomodoro cuore di bue, Italian recipe, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, mozzarella di bufala

lunch, sandwich

Italian

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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