Herb Mayonnaise Dip with Cornichon Pickles
This side dipping sauce serves as a wonderful companion to raw vegetables, chips, or even as a spread on sandwiches, grilled meats, or fish. Loaded with fresh herbs, cornichon pickles, pickled jalapenos, and a blend of sour cream and cream cheese, this dip is tangy, savory, and refreshing all at once. It tastes wonderful, and is quite versatile.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tbsp prepared pickle relish
- ¼ cup Cornichon pickles, chopped
- 2 Tbsp pickled jalapenos, chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 3 Tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- A variety of raw vegetables or chips for serving
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and softened cream cheese.
- Using a whisk or a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk these ingredients together until you achieve a smooth and creamy texture.
- Add in the relish, chopped Cornichon pickles, and chopped pickled jalapenos.
- Stir these into the creamy mixture until well combined.
- Next, add the zest of one lemon, along with the fresh lemon juice.
- Incorporate the finely chopped parsley and dill into the mixture, stirring well to evenly distribute these aromatic herbs throughout the dip.
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Mix well, until all the spices are integrated into the dip.
- For the best flavor, cover the dip and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- *This allows all the flavors to meld together.
- Before serving, give the dip a good stir to redistribute any herbs or spices that may have settled.
- Serve chilled, with an array of colorful raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, cucumber slices, celery sticks, bell pepper strips, and cherry tomatoes, or with your favorite variety of chips.
Notes
You can store this mayonnaise in the fridge few a day or two, but it doesn’t keep as well after you have mixed in the fresh herbs. If you are planning on making the dip a day or two in advance, make it without the fresh herbs and store it in the refrigerator. Stir in the fresh herbs directly before serving—it will taste much fresher this way.
You can adjust the level of heat by adding more or less pickled jalapenos. Other herbs, such as chives or basil, can be used in addition to or in place of parsley and dill.