Meet Australia’s favourite dip!!! This Spinach French Onion Cob Dip is made using a French Onion Soup mix and is served in a cob bread loaf. It is unapologetically retro, gloriously unfashionable, breaks every real-food rule I preach, and is completely addictive!!
Spinach French Onion Cob Dip
This dip has been a fixture at Australian gatherings for decades, and when you take one bite you will understand why!! It is a French onion dip with spinach stirred through it that is famously served in a hollowed out cob loaf, a round crusty bread loaf that doubles as an edible serving bowl. Ripping into the dip-soaked bread at the end is the best part!!
And if you grew up in Australia, you already know that there is one sacred rule about this dip – it must, I repeat MUST, be made using a packet of French onion soup mix rather than caramelising onions yourself. Now is not the time to get snobby on me and insist you’re going to make it from scratch, Australia does not approve! Some things are perfect exactly as they are, and this Spinach French Onion Cobb Loaf Dip is one of them. 🥰
(PS Save onion caramelisation efforts for this Homemade French Onion Dip, it is truly worth every minute!)
Ingredients in Spinach French Onion Cob Dip
This dip is such a staple in Australian households there is a recipe on the back of the French Onion soup packet – 1 packet soup mix, 300g/10oz sour cream, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 box frozen spinach. I personally find it too salty, the French onion flavour overpowering, and it’s too heavy on mayo-grease. My version uses half the mayonnaise and has a whole block of cream cheese for extra creaminess and a more balanced, less salty flavour.
French Onion Soup Powder (40g/1.4 oz) – You need one whole packet of French onion soup powder. Unlike my retro French Onion Soup Dip, salt-reduced won’t work here, you will find the dip under-seasoned. We need all the salt!
Cob bread loaf – This is a round crusty bread that’s sold here in Australia. I prefer a sourdough one because it’s sturdier, so the bread pieces don’t fall apart when dipped and the bowl itself is solid. Choose one on the smaller side, around 25cm/10″, so the dip fills the bowl right to the top. If you can only find a large one (some are mega!), make your bowl shallower. 🙂
⚡️Newsflash – it doesn’t have to be round! If you can’t find a round cob loaf, any bread loaf will be fine. A small to medium sourdough or pana di casa would be terrific.
⚡️Another newsflash! Bread doesn’t have to be present! You can even serve the dip in a regular bowl and pile crackers, chips, veggie sticks on the side. 🙂Frozen chopped spinach – You could sauté fresh baby spinach or English spinach instead, but I never have and probably never will, not for this dip!!
Mayonnaise – I recommend using whole egg mayonnaise which has a smoother flavour, less vinegary and less sweet than regular mayonnaise. I like S&W and Hellmans. Kewpie would also work.
Sour cream – The recipe calls for 300g / 10oz which is one of the standard size tubs we get here in Australia. If you have a 250g/8oz one, just top up with yogurt or more mayonnaise rather than getting a whole second tub just to use a bit. Substitute with a thick plain yogurt and an extra dollop or two of mayonnaise.
Cream cheese – This is not an ingredient listed in the back-of-packet recipe for Spinach French Onion Dip. But I like to use it because it gives the dip a lovely velvety, rich dip texture without using copious amounts of mayonnaise. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with an extra 1/2 cup each of mayonnaise and sour cream.
That’s it! No salt, no pepper, no fresh anything. How good is that! 😉
How to make Spinach French Onion Dip
I use a “make it now” method because I never seem to have the foresight to plan ahead to allow things to soften or thaw. But, if you are more organised than me, you can skip the microwaving steps. 🙂
1. The dip
Soften cream cheese – Put the cream cheese in a microwave-proof bowl and break it up roughly into 8 or so chunks using the wooden spoon you plan to mix the dip with. Microwave for 30 seconds on high, then mix until it’s smooth and quite loose, like sour cream.
Add the sour cream, mayonnaise and French Onion Soup powder, and give it a good mix.
Thaw and squeeze – Thaw the frozen spinach in the microwave – it takes me 1 1/2 minutes on high. Then grab handfuls and squeeze out excess water.
Mix in spinach – Add the spinach into the dip and mix. Dip, done! You culinary genius, you!! 🥳
3 hour rest – Put the bowl in the fridge for 3 hours (or even overnight) to let the flavours meld.
Pour the dip into the cob loaf bowl (below) and serve with the bread pieces on the side for dipping!
warm baked version
I usually serve this dip at room temperature, but there is something very cosy about serving it warm from the oven! I loosely wrap the dip filled bread with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Oil spray and salt the bread pieces, scatter around the unwrapped cob dip and bake for a further 15 minutes until the bread pieces are lightly browned. I’ve popped these directions in the recipe card too.
2. cutting the Cob loaf bowl
You can cut the bread bowl out using this method no matter what shape your bread is. You can even do this with individual bread rolls – imagine that! Your very own cob dip, all to yourself!! 🎉
Cob loaf bowl – Cut the lid off the cob bread (about 2.5cm / 1″). Use a bread knife for this, it’s easiest!
Cut circle – Cut a circle into the bread, leaving a 1.5 – 2cm edge and base (0.6 – 0.8″) . Take care not to cut all the way through the base.
Score the middle of the bread into 2.5cm / 1″ squares.
Pull the pieces out to create the bowl.
Cob loaf dip bowl, done! 🎉
Cut the lid into 2.5cm / 1″ pieces.
Ripping into that bread bowl!
I recommend adding some crackers or chips on the side too (or, I suppose, veggie sticks), because you’ll end up with more dip than the bread alone can handle . My favourite is plain crinkle cut potato chips. They go SO WELL with French Onion flavoured dips – try it once and you’ll be converted for life!
And don’t forget, while ordinarily you feel a sense of sadness as you see a bowl of dip nearing the end, with a cob loaf dip it’s actually cause for celebration. Because now you get to rip apart the dip-soaked bread bowl!! Frankly, some would argue this is the whole reason we made the dip in the first place – and I would find it difficult to disagree……🥰
There you go. A great Australian classic. Brilliant in its simplicity. Don’t overthink it. Just embrace the powder.
Hope you get a chance to try it! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Spinach French Onion Cob Dip
Ingredients
- 1 packet (40g/1.4oz) French onion soup mix powder, full salt (not low salt)
- 250g/8 oz cream cheese , full fat
- 300g/ 10oz sour cream , full fat (or 250g/8oz tub + top up with yogurt or extra mayo)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise , whole-egg or Kewpie
- 250g/8 oz frozen chopped spinach , thawed (I microwave), excess water squeezed out with hands (Note 1)
- 1 cob loaf (crusty round bread), preferably sourdough, or other shape loaf, about 25cm/10oz wide (Note 2)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Warm cream cheese then mix well to soften. Mix in mayo, sour cream and soup, then spinach. Fridge 3 hours, serve in bread bowl!
FULL RECIPE:
- Soften cream cheese – Put the cream cheese in a microwave-proof bowl and use a wooden spoon to roughly break it up into 8 or so chunks. Microwave on high for ~30 seconds then mix well until it is soft and loose, like sour cream.
- Mix – Add the sour cream, mayonnaise and soup powder, mix well. Then stir in spinach.
- Fridge 3 hours – Refrigerate, covered, for 3 hours (or overnight) to let the flavours meld.
- Bread bowl – Using a bread knife, cut a lid off the bread (about 2.5cm/1" thick). Cut around the inside of the loaf, leaving a 2cm/0.8" border and base. Score the bread inside the ring into 2.5cm/1" squares, then pull the pieces out with your fingers to create a bread bowl.
- Serve – Take it out of the fridge 1 hour prior to serving to take the chill out and loosen (if needed, warm slightly in microwave). Give it a good mix, pour into the bowl and serve with the bread pieces on the side for dipping. I recommend providing extra dippers (crackers, chips – my favourite is crinkle cut plain potato chips) as there is more dip than bread!
Warm baked version
- Loosely wrap the dip filled bread with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Olive oil spray bread pieces and season with pinch of salt. Scatter around the unwrapped cob dip and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the bread pieces are lightly browned. Serve warm!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Jaffle
Dip. ✅ Outfit. ✅ We are World Cup ready – Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi oi oi!!
Those kiddie size hats were a great find because the sweat band idea I had in my head didn’t translate quite as well in real life….
Who knew golden retriever puppies had so much flappy skin on their face!!
Meanwhile, Dozer is up in the Big Sky Kitchen, sniggering, telling Jaffle I told you it was coming!!! 😂
He was really suffering from overheating in that kimono – so much polyester!! 😂
Oh Nagi JAFFLE is adorable and you are happy. Here I am clicking on Jaffle before the recipe! 🤗 He is adorable and I look forward to seeing his progress. He has found his way into your heart. Love the photos.
All the best.
Thanks for this recipe, Nagi! I’ve never made this, which shows just how unsporty I am. But I will definitely try it out for the family, maybe for Christmas 🎄
On another note, I made your salmon fajita spread with the capsicum, onion, avocado, and the wonderful jalapeno sauce. All I can say is YUM!!! The family LOVED it, so it will definitely go in the repeat performance ranks. And so easy too. Thanks for your wonderful recipes. Jaffa is so cute, what a lucky boy ❤️
Nagi – love how you’re bringing in Dozer to teach his little bro all about your funny hats and costumes. He’s still around for all of us too. xx
You know , I might even try this dip – as Ive said I don’t do cooking 🙂
Nothing like 70,s retro for cold winter treats…I remember making this in the 70,s…love Jaffles outfit..🥹🥰⚽️
Take a small can of water chestnuts and cut into 1/4 cm cubes for some crunch in the dip
Always put water chestnuts in mine 💕
Does JB know you’re using a French Onion Soup packet mix ? 🤭
Dozer in that kimono looks like Hong Kong Phooey ! (A kids cartoon show from the 70’s in the UK – no idea if it was shown in Australia…)
It hardly ever happens but I AM going to get snobby on you – there is no way in the world I would bring a packet soup into my house . . . or pre-prepared mayonnaise for that matter. Health more than taste . . . well, me! At least give me ‘A’ for ten seconds of honesty 🙂 ! That said shall ‘play’ around your idea . . . I usually have a smorrebrod with half-a-dozen goodies on it or a wholegrain wrap enclosing the same for breakfast Scandi style . . . and, ‘played around’ a wee bit, this ‘dip’ would act as a very tasty base ere the herrings and anchovies and eel and raw onions are added 🙂 ! And Dozer and I are both methinks rolling our eyes a bit and nodding . . . there we go, uhuh! Well, what’s part of the job is part of the job 🙂 ! Have just looked at the evening news and feel thoroughly sorry for our boys in Seattle . . . can you imagine trying to do your best when the whole stadium, city and country would like you to disappear into the ashes . . . thought they were marvellous in the previous match, but . . . bestest for the weekend to you . . .
This looks so good! I will have to try making this.
And Jaffle looks quite dapper in his jaunty hat. Oi!
Nagi, you really are the best, not only as ‘mummy’ to Dozer and Jaffle but your recipes. This is such an iconic Aussie recipe and you’ve put it on the world stage! Yay it’s the best and go Socceroos.
Cheers
J
Wow
Just got to put in oven to heat up and make bread crunchy!
I can cook this now and not feel old fashioned, as I’ve been making this for years. So yum.
Yes, everybody loves this, but it has to be served hot!
Agree! Need to make the cob and accompanying croutons toasty and the dip warm.
Yes i make this and always warm the whole thing covered in foil in the oven so its all melty.
That’s the version with artichoke hearts, diced watèr chestnuts, 1 cup mozzarella and some parm. 400° for 15 min’s. One of the U. S. versions.
Eeck…trying desperately to find Gluten Free French onion Soup mix 🙁 FOMO
DIY French Onion Soup in Google will = DIY subs
After putting dip in cob we but in oven for about 10 -15mins to toast up the pieces of bread and warm up the dip, really yummy on these cold nights
The look on Jaffle’ face is priceless…what have I let myself in for 🤣🤣🤣
Guess we are having Spinach French Onion Cob dip tomorrow night…drinks at my place after sport….yum!!
Jaffle looks super cute 💙💙💙
Dozer looking down probably thinking glad I don’t have to wear a hat 😊
Yum! I like to spray my bread bowl with oil, then crisp in the oven for 10mins. Makes it less soggy and way better when it comes time to rip it apart.
Love this dip, tastes awesome, definitely will be making this, thank you Nagi.
Xxx
I could just sit on the lounge and demolish this! You’re a legend, Nagi!
Oh my goodness he is growing so fast! So sure he is receiving excellent nutrition too! Glad you have a loyal companion again Nagi, life is too short to be dogless.
“Oh my! Uncle Dozer was right it happened, little Jaffle said”😅
I forgot about this ever-popular party/potluck fave! So good. In the U. S., we add a can of drained artichoke hearts, julienned water chestnuts for a little crunch, and a cup of mozzarella and some parm, rest it a while, then fill the bread bowl & pop it in the oven at 400° for 15 minutes. I’ve had it warm, cold, at countless gatherings, and just ones I made to enjoy myself…and they are all delicious. Adding this to the shopping list next to the Char Sui ingredients (1/4 of it will be diced for trying your Baked Fried Rice). This creamy, crunchy delight will be perfect with a Char Sui Banh Mi! I confess to loving NOT sharing this dip! I first landed on RTE with the Jalapeno Popper Dip…one I can’t bring myself to share either!
Hah! ROFL over the Jaffle indoctrination into partywear.