No-MSG Dashi Dip with Cream Cheese and Chives

There is something so satisfying about sour cream and onion chips. Every time I have them, I am reminded how the flavor is nostalgic, and how it's the best complement to a sandwich or iced tea. 

The concept behind this Cream Cheese and Chive Dashi Dip was to capture the day I enjoyed over the weekend snacking on a bag of sour cream and onion chips with loved ones in the botanical garden along the northern coast of California. The cream cheese base lends a lactic, slightly sour taste to the base of the dip, while the addition of No MSG Dashi adds plenty of savory, brothy flavor. The little bits of chives contrasted with the ichimi (or paprika) flakes give the dip some dimension. And unlike a bag of sour cream and onion chips, this recipe has no MSG. 

INGREDIENTS

8 oz package of cream cheese at room temperature
2 tsp No MSG Dashi pellets
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ichimi or paprika
2 tbsp hot water

METHOD

1. Mix the dashi and hot water together so the pellets dissolve in the water.

2. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and dashi mixture.

The light brown color of the dashi will slowly color the cream cheese. Incorporate well.

3. Fold in the chives and ichimi (or paprika). Mix well.

4. Best after at least one hour of refrigeration.

5. Serve with fresh carrots, crackers or chips.

Although this isn't a bag of sour cream and onion and chips, it's a good way to have a similar flavor in a healthier format and with no MSG! This dip surely takes me back to that dreamy day we spend a the Mendocino Botanical Gardens.