Sizzling Spring Onion, Herb and Yogurt Dip
Just a lovely take on yogurt dip with a topping of sizzling spring onions, loads of herbs and pine nuts – just in time for the weather changing in Cape Town.
I am not sure there is anything better than a warm flatbread scooped through a tangy dip.
Flatbread options on Adre’s Kitchen:
- Easy flatbread dough – Minimal kneading but rise time. I love the fact that I can make this ahead, pop it in the fridge, and make flatbreads as and when I need them
- Yogurt flatbreads – No rise or kneading. Quick and easy recipe, I suspect you don’t need to make the spiced butter if serving it with these flatbreads.
- Rosemary No Knead Flatbreads – you do need some time with these, so not the quickest but super delicious. I make these later afternoon to bake the following day.
A note on Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For this recipe you will need 1/4 cup of excellent extra-virgin olive oil. I know that for some, olive oil can taste bitter or some sense a burn at the back of their throats. Ironically, this is actually a mark of a good olive oil, the burn is the polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that is really good for us. Don’t suffer through this if olive oil is not your cup of tea, do cook with it please, but for the recipe you can use a ‘delicate’ olive oil which most supermarkets source and label accordingly.
I would absolutely never use a vegetable oil (unless for deep frying which I seldom do) – I am not on the ‘bad oils’ band wagon but in terms of flavour, they have none.
My favourite Extra Virgin Olive Oil producers.
I try to source oil from a small scale, hopefully family owned farm with minimal intervention.I use ALOT of oil in my kitchen, so for me, sourcing oil with minimal chemicals in it is imperative.
- Piketberg Olive Oil
- Chaloner Olive Oil
- Certified Organic Blue Sky Organics Olive Oil (which you can buy online from Wild Organics)
A Note on Dairy:
The better the yogurt, the better the dish so try to source something special and thick from an artisan producer. Thin yogurt will not work here.
Cows from industrial dairies really do live a miserable life and I would like to urge you to please try to source your dairy from smaller more ethical dairies who treat their animals with respect. In Cape Town we are lucky to have a choice between smaller dairies but if you are stuck with little options, try to source your milk organically to avoid routine antibiotic use.
Cape Town Micro Dairies:
- Cream of the Crop
- Gays Dairy (available in store at Olive Branch Deli and online at Wild Organics)
- Wild Organics has an excellent selection of micro diary choices including A2 milk
- Dalewood Fromage
Dairy Free/Vegan:
Use a full fat thick coconut yogurt.
I love this dish!
Sizzling Spring Onion, Herb and Yogurt Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups very good full fat greek style yogurt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil see intro
- 1 small shallot or 1/2, very finely chopped
- small bunch baby spring onions topped & tailed, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts roughly chopped (keep 2 tablespoons whole for the garnish)
- handful basil leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes or 1 fresh chilli deseeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
- 1 lemon or lime zest and a squeeze of juice
- pinch of sumac to garnish, opt, or use paprika
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl add the spring onions, shallots, basil, pine nuts, most of the garlic, chilli and sesame seeds. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Spread the yogurt on a pretty plate, add the garlic, most of the zest, pinch of salt and a small squeeze juice, mix well and taste. Make a swirl in the yogurt where we will drizzle the oil over. Set aside.
- Heat the oil on a medium high heat until it 'shimmers' (shiny), carefully add the oil to the the bowl with spring onions. It will sizzle like magic!
- Spread the sizzling spring onions over the yogurt, season with zest, sumac and the reserved pine nuts. Enjoy!