Creamy Miso Leek Dip

Smooth, thick, luscious, and savory, this Creamy Miso Leek Dip will have you diving in with your favorite crunchy chips. Perfect for a cocktail party or your next barbecue, this dip will be an instant favorite with its combination of decadent flavors.

Go ahead and shake up a Grapefruit Greyhound Cocktail. This creamy onion dip begs to be center stage for a Friday night at home served next to your favorite beverage. Combining the familiarity of a caramelized onion dip with a boost of umami, this is an instant party in a bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Texture – This dip is thick, silky, and creamy. It holds up well to dipping both your favorite potato chips and also crudites.
Familiar Flavors – If you love French onion dip you will like this recipe. It combines caramelized leeks with the tang of goat cheese and nutty, salty umami of miso which gives this dip complexity and depth.
Make Ahead – This is an easy dish to prepare a day or two in advance that just gets better as the flavors marry.
Easy Process – The only cooling involved in this dip recipe is caramelizing the leeks The rest is just a little mixing.

Ingredients

You’ll never reach for a packet of dip mix again once you make this Creamy Miso Leek Dip. Not only do you have complete control over the quality of all of the ingredients, but it also only requires a few.

Butter – Helps the leeks caramelize while adding richness.
Miso Paste – You will want to use white miso paste for this recipe. It has a mild, sweet, salty, and nutty flavor and easily melts into the butter.
Leeks – Leeks have delicate onion flavor and sweeten as they cook.
Goat Cheese – This adds tanginess and creaminess to the dip.
Sour Cream – Smooth, silky, and tangy, it balances the sweetness of the honey and leeks without overpowering any of the flavors.
Salt
Honey – Pairs perfectly with goat cheese. Adds depth of flavor and a little sweetness without overpowering the other ingredients.
Cayenne – Gives a hint of spice.
Fresh Chives – Adds fresh delicate onion flavor that compliments the leeks.

How to Make Creamy Miso Leek Dip

This creamy onion dip is perfect for any level of cook. The elevated make this a restaurant worthy dish but with minimal effort.

Time needed: 30 minutes

This quick cooking easy appetizer is as at home serve with cocktails as it is at your next game day party.

Mise en Place
Thoroughly wash your leeks and make sure they’re dry. Give them a chop. Make sure that your goat cheese is at room temperature so it easily mixes together without lumps.
Sauté
Add your butter to a sauté pan over low heat and allow it to melt. Add your miso paste and leeks. Allow the leeks to gently caramelize, turning from vibrant green to a more golden color, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
Mix
Add the sour cream, goat cheese, honey, cayenne, salt, and pepper to a bowl and mix to combine. Add the cooled leeks and gently fold them in.
Finishing Touch
Sprinkle the chives over the top and enjoy with your favorite dipper!

Variations on Creamy Miso Leek Dip

Like things spicy? Add a little extra cayenne into your dip or a splash of hot sauce. Want it a little sweeter, add a little more honey. You have complete control to adjust this to your favorite flavor profile.

Substitutions

You can use olive oil to sauté your leeks for this recipe. It won’t have quite as much flavor and richness as the butter but will still be delicious. You can also substitute the sour cream in this recipe for less fat sour cream.

Storage

This Creamy Miso Leek Dip is a great make ahead dish that just gets better. If you don’t plan on serving it right away transfer it to an airtight container and keep it refrigerated. It will keep for up to 5-7 days if properly refrigerated. Because the goat cheese will thicken up once cold, allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

Top Tip for Creamy Miso Leek Dip

Leeks are notorious for being fairly sandy. You want to make sure to thoroughly clean your leeks so your dip is creamy and dreamy and not gritty. Here are some easy steps to follow to clean your leeks.

Cut off the roots and the dark green portion of the leeks. You only want to use the white and light green section as it’s the most tender. The dark green section is fibrous.
Slice your leeks in half to reveal the layers. Cut up your leeks.
Transfer the leeks to either a bowl with water or deep baking dish with water. The leeks will float at the top while the dirt sinks to the bottom. Make sure to agitate them a little to separate the dirt from the leeks.
Lift them out with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on paper towel.
If your leeks don’t seem that sandy you can also slice them in half and run them under cold water, separating the sections and allowing the water to rinse away the sand.