Creamy Herb Dip with Horseradish
A fresh and zippy dip for your veggie platter
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I’m dropping a simple recipe into your inbox today, a homemade dip for raw veggies that’s perfect for the holidays.
Every time I serve this simple dip with a veggie platter, I get asked for the recipe. It’s similar to Ranch or Green Goddess dressing, but fresher, lighter and has more zip. It has flavors of lemon, fresh herbs and horseradish. It’s also a very pretty green color.
This veggie dip is perfect for the holidays, when you don’t have time for complicated recipes but you want to impress. Serve it with a veggie tray for an easy appetizer. You can also serve it alongside smoked salmon, chicken skewers or chilled shrimp.
P.S. This dip can also be a flavorful creamy salad dressing…see the instructions below for adjusting the consistency.
Creamy Herb Dip with Horseradish
Ingredients
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh dill*
1/2 cup fresh parsley*
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
*Don’t worry about precisely measuring the fresh herbs. Just pluck off leaves of parsley and fronds of dill from the stem and pack them into 1/2 cup. Sometimes I’m in a hurry and I also add some stem, it’s fine. Sometimes I don’t even use a measuring cup, I just eyeball it. Error on the side of adding more herbs, not less.
Instructions
In a small blender (I use a small Nutribullet) combine 1/4 cup of the sour cream plus all of the remaining ingredients: mayonnaise, lemon juice, fresh herbs, horseradish and salt.
Blend until the consistency is very smooth and the color is a lovely light green, about 30 seconds. The herbs should be completely blended into the dip with no large flecks remaining.
Pour the dip into a bowl. By hand, whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of sour cream.
I almost always add another small pinch of salt. Sometimes I add a little more lemon or horseradish.
You can serve the dip immediately or refrigerate it for several days. It will thicken up a little bit after a few hours in the refrigerator.
Tips & Questions
The reason you need to whisk in some of the sour cream by hand is that it keeps the consistency thick enough to be a dip. If you blitz everything at once in the blender the consistency will be very thin and watery.
If you want to serve this dip as a salad dressing, then add a little bit more lemon juice. If the consistency is still too thick (it also thickens when stored in the fridge) just whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to make it a pourable dressing.
You can substitute full-fat Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but the dip will have a tangier flavor.
Prepared horseradish is sold in jars. Some brands of prepared horseradish have a noticeable amount of vinegar in the jar. Don’t add the vinegar to the dip, just the horseradish. Use a fork to scoop out the horseradish and the vinegar will drain back into the jar.
If you have kids, you can add less horseradish or skip it.
If you like garlic, you can add a small clove to the blender.
You can make this dip with just one type of herb, not two. For example, only add dill or only add parsley. I haven’t tried basil or cilantro yet, but I imagine these herbs would be good too.
If you really don’t like mayo you can leave it out and add more sour cream, but you’ll need to add more salt and possibly a garlic clove to kick up the flavor.
