Entertaining over the holidays? Make some crowd-pleasing dips. They are a creative and convenient way to bring anti-inflammatory foods into the holidays. Believe it or not, herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables lay the groundwork for a health-supporting lifestyle.
While we love the convenience of purchased dips like packaged French Onion Dip, many brands contain unnecessary amounts of fat, preservatives, and additives. Making dips yourself allows you to control the flavor and quality – and it’s easy!
Dips, made with the right ingredients, can be an effective tool in moving towards an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, which can prevent depression and other chronic conditions. Cultured cottage cheese and yogurt, as well as legumes, are beneficial to the microbiome, which is essential to our immune system, mood regulation, and general health. Beans are not a large part of the American way of eating, but we do love dips! These recipes can be party food, enjoyed as snacks, or to enhance a meal. Here are some of our favorite combinations with healthy vehicle ideas.
The best dips begin with a creamy base made from beans, avocados, and roasted vegetables such as red peppers and eggplant. Add flavor boosters such as tahini, garlic, hot sauce, lemon or lime juice, and zest to add dimension. Finish by seasoning with fresh and dried herbs, spices, salt, and pepper, and your dip is complete.
Ingredient and flavor combinations
Dips, Snacks, and Party Foods
- Quick and Easy Black Bean Dip – for a super simple dip, drain and rinse a can of black beans and add your favorite salsa – Viola! Done. If you’re feeling energetic….add some chopped vegetables from your refrigerator – green, red or hot pepper, herbs such as cilantro or parsley, anything that is handy, and call it a day.
- Chickpea hummus – Traditional Middle Eastern Hummus is a base of chickpeas with tahini, garlic, lemon, and cumin added. Variations are endless but include roasted red pepper, avocado, kalamata olive, spicy sriracha, and creamy pesto. Try this crowd-pleasing version of Lemon Dill Hummus. Some say starting with dried beans is the only way to go for the best flavor and texture. I say convenience is king, and canned beans are very convenient.
- Garlic White Bean Dip – Beans are an excellent base for a dip. Throw them in a blender and add your favorite herbs and spices, and you are on your way! Here is a simple Garlic White Bean Dip.
- Guacamole! Avocados are known for their healthy fat and incredible flavor. They are great in a dip or added to a sandwich. Traditional Guacamole has deep nutrition, not only from the avocado but also from onions, garlic, cilantro, and lemon. Add a little lemon zest and up the flavor and phytonutrient profile. A slight modification will provide protein and probiotics with this version: Two Minute Creamy Avocado Dip.
- Roasted vegetables – Baba ganoush is the ultimate example here – a Mediterranean dip made from a combination of roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon, and garlic. Other roasted vegetables that work well in dips are red peppers, butternut squash, cauliflower, and zucchini. Roasting ups the flavor and brings creaminess when they are blended. Check out Traditional Middle Eastern Muhammara Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip or this Simple Version of Roasted Red Pepper Dip. Red peppers contain a wide range of phytonutrients and are vitamin rich.
Here are several roasted veggie dips
- Herbed Cottage Cheese Dip – a great alternative to store-bought onion dip. This version has more protein, no additives or preservatives, and tons of flavor!
- Or try one of these versions: Honey Vanilla Fruit Dip and Garlic and Herb Whipped Cottage Cheese Dip
- Pumpkin Whipped Feta Dip; For the brave and adventurous
Vehicles: Go beyond the chips and crackers
- Carrot chips or sticks – You can purchase prepared crinkle-cut carrot chips or slice carrots on an angle. Baby carrots work, too.
- Cucumber chips – Slice cucumbers on an angle to maximize surface area for scooping.
- Broccoli or cauliflower – Lightly steam these vegetables to bring out their sweetness – you want them to still have the firmness necessary to dip.
- Green beans – Remove stems, rinse, and dip. If you prefer, you can lightly steam these as well.
- Endive – This nutrient-dense vegetable is the ultimate chip – perfect shape, size, and sturdiness.
- Peppers – Red, yellow, and orange peppers provide a variety of phytonutrients and are milder than green peppers.
- Celery sticks – Firm and crisp, celery is a go-to vehicle.
- Snap peas – These can be consumed raw or lightly steamed.
- Cherry tomatoes – We love using cherry tomatoes on our crudités platters, but dipping them can be tricky. Using toothpicks can help keep your fingers free of dip.
Fruits, vegetables, and legumes provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients inform the color, taste, and smell of plant foods. They also attract pollinators and repel predators.
These same phytonutrients have essential health-supportive functions for us. They are believed to aid in cognitive function, enhance immune function, support gut health, and provide potent anti-inflammatory compounds. There are thousands of phytonutrients that have names like quercetin (onions and garlic), sulforaphane (crucifers), and curcumin (turmeric). We benefit from every little bit of these nutrients, and dips are a great way to enjoy them.
If you would like more personalized information related to nutrition and health, contact University Dietitian Terry Passano RDN at thpassano@salisbury.edu or request an appointment here. Complimentary sessions are offered to all students, faculty, and staff.