Sour cream is one of my favourite condiments, but I feel guilty buying it for two reasons:  1.  it’s unhealthy and high in calories, and 2. I often end up wasting food, because I have trouble using up an entire container before the expiration date.  So you can imagine my excitement when I watched chef Rocco DiSpirito share his healthy sour cream substitute on tv a few years ago.  It only requires 2 ingredients:  cottage cheese and white vinegar/lemon juice.  I have to admit, I was very doubtful that anything could even come close to tasting like sour cream.  When I first tried it, I was expecting to be as disappointed as the first time I ever tried vegan cheese, but it was amazingly similar to sour cream.  You just need to have the equipment to get the texture completely smooth (I used a mini food processor). You can make as little or as much as you want and you don’t have to feel guilty eating it.

Sour Cream Substitute Recipe

adapted from chef Rocco DiSpirito

1 cup cottage cheese

1 tablespoon, or more to taste, distilled white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice  (Note:  Distilled white vinegar lends a better flavour.  If you use lemon juice, you will likely need more than 1 tbsp.  I like that the added liquid from using lemon juice results in a softer texture.)

Place the cottage cheese and vinegar/lemon juice in the bowl of a mini food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Note that I’ve read that an immersion blender also works well.  Process until very smooth.  Taste test and add more vinegar or lemon juice to taste as needed.  Scrape down the sides and process again.  Then transfer the sour cream to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.  Serve chilled.