You’re about to give up shop-bought dips – here’s why

From salsa for your tortilla chips to hummus for your mezze spread, dips are super easy to make when you know how – and the flavour is off the charts.

What do barbecues, picnics and fridge-raid picky teas all have in common? Their success often hinges on a great dip.That little flavour-packed pot or jar that’s for dolloping, spreading and dunking is the glue of many a summery meal.

“I really, really love dips. They’re perfect for sitting outside with a drink and nibbles and just generally eating alfresco. I do find myself making more dips in the summer months,” explains chef Philli Armitage-Mattin.

There’s no shortage of choice in the shops, but nothing can beat the flavour of homemade, she reckons. We’d say making your own dips is worth the effort, but some are so easy that there’s almost none involved.

From a self-confessed dip obsessive to a soon-to-be convert (that’s you), here’s how to nail homemade dips.

Keep it simple

If you’re new to making dips, start with ones that require just a few ingredients. “Tahini dip comes together so easily – all you need is a bowl, spoon, tahini and lemon juice. It’s the quickest thing and I drizzle it on everything. I’m obsessed.”

Add some yoghurt, and you have yourself a marinade too, says the self-titled “condiment queen.”

“In the summer I shove everything on the barbecue, and if you’re doing that with veg like carrots, broccoli and aubergine, or meat such as lamb, you could mix some tahini and yoghurt together and then slather it onto your ingredients before you grill. It’s so easy.”

Another option for a super-easy dip says Armitage-Mattin is flavoured mayo. “You don’t even need to make your own mayonnaise – although that is pretty low-effort to make, by the way. Instead, you can just flavour up a store-bought one by mixing something like pesto into it.

“Or make chilli oil, which I really love. While you can make quite involved ones like XO sauce, you could also just make one with two ingredients: chilli flakes and oil. You warm up the oil in a pan and then pour it over the chilli flakes. It makes the most satisfying sound to listen to. Then you could serve it as is or add it to something like sour cream or mayo to make it creamy.

Talking of chilli-based dips, Armitage-Mattin has produced a new chipotle sauce recipe. “It comes together in seconds – it’s just a mixing of sauces. What I would say is if you can do it a few hours in advance and leave it in the fridge, that really helps to thicken it up so it has the consistency of a dip. It’s perfect for dipping crisps into!”

Use everyday kitchen tools to speed things up

“It’s extremely rewarding when you can add so much flavour into a dip without too much effort,” says Armitage-Mattin. “I’m all about hacks because I’m a bit of a lazy chef! I’m a fan of anything you can throw in a blender – including pesto and guacamole. It’s a lot easier than people think.”

Armitage-Mattin has also been converted to the benefits of the air-fryer and if using garlic in a dip, uses hers to quickly roast a bulb. “I often do this when I get back from working in the restaurant, as I’ll want something quick and when you wrap it in foil, it only takes 10-15 minutes on a low heat setting to roast, then you can add it into dips that require it.”

Even the hob is a useful tool to help improve a dip. “I make a salsa roja and it’s so much better than store bought. There really is a significant difference. I’d suggest you season it to your palate and then add olive oil before cooking it down to make it nice and thick. So, you’ll never get that watery salsa like the store-bought stuff.”

Use spare space on the barbecue

If you love firing up the barbecue, this could also help you make dips quickly, with a lovely charred flavour.

“As your barbecue is heating up, you can just throw things like aubergines and red peppers on because you don’t need white coals for that. They’re both delicious in dips – the peppers could be easily peeled and added to a hummus.”

Or you could whip up a smoky baba ganoush using those charred aubergines.

“I also came up with a pineapple salsa – I barbecued half the pineapple and kept the other half raw. It added a little bit more smokiness to the salsa which I really enjoyed and then the raw pineapple was really light, fresh and zingy.”

A dip like this doesn’t just go well with tortilla chips but also rich meats like pork, says the chef.

Know when to use store-cupboard and when to use fresh

If you’re making a dip and want to keep costs down, you might want to opt for dried herbs instead of fresh. But before you do, consider what will work and what won’t.

“Some herbs carry the flavour better dried then others. Dried oregano is great – you can really feel the flavour but with soft herbs such as basil, the dry version might not have the same flavour. However, rather than buying fresh, you could get a pack frozen, then none will be going to waste. It’s the same for parsley too.”

When it comes to hummus, Armitage-Mattin advocates making life easier for yourself and using tinned rather than dried chickpeas “so you don’t have to boil them for hours.” But, even though the canned versions are already cooked, heating them up and adding baking powder to the water helps to “break down the chickpeas’ cells, and means you will get that creamy, silky texture. Once cooked, you just add a bit of a tahini, olive oil, lemon, salt and garlic and put it all in a blender. Then it’s good to go. You can make buckets of the stuff with barely any effort!”

So, now you have the tools, go ahead and make some slam-dunk dips this summer.

Originally published August 2023