The Ina Garten 10-Minute Dip I'm Making All Summer Long

I recently read Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, and I was delighted by the fun and whimsy she infuses on every page. Even in written form, Ina sounds like Ina.

The book details much more than cooking, but food is, of course, central to it. Ina writes about the prepared foods her patrons would go nuts for at her store in the Hamptons, The Barefoot Contessa, as well as some of the most memorable recipes from her stack of cookbooks.

There's one recipe in particular that caught my eye: her sun-dried tomato dip.  

Why I Love Ina Garten’s Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

Sun-dried tomatoes are one of my favorite ingredients, especially the extra-flavorful ones packed in oil like this recipe uses. Plus, who doesn’t love a dip?

In addition to those highlights, this dip is super easy to make (it's done in the blender), and it's very satisfying for dairy-loving dip lovers as three (yes, three!) kinds are blended along with hot sauce and green onion.

On the way to greatness, I did encounter a slight hiccup. When I first tried this dip straight from the blender, I was surprised that it tasted like… nothing. I felt like I was eating straight cream cheese. "Oh no," I thought, "has the Barefoot Contessa let me down?"

I headed to the recipe on Food Network to view the comments, which quickly reassured me that the dip needs to sit overnight for the flavors to emerge. That was exactly what it was; I tried it the next morning and was delighted by the sweet-tart taste of sun-dried tomatoes, plus a hint of spice. If sun-dried tomato ranch existed, I imagine this is how it would taste.

Tips for Making Ina Garten’s Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

• Substitutions: This dip is very heavy, but you can lighten it up by using half the amount of cream cheese and substituting Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
• It's more than a dip: While this is technically a dip, it can also be used as a spread. Try a thin layer on toasted sourdough or crostini, and add toppings like avocado or a fried egg.
• About the sun-dried tomatoes: I use Trader Joe’s Julienne Sliced Sun-Dried Tomatoes for this recipe. And because I’m a tomato-head, I add an extra heaping tablespoon to increase this dip's flavor.