How many dip recipes does a girl really need? Whatever the number, I’m not there yet. Early summer is a vegetable-paloooza around here, with cucumbers, radishes, sugar snap peas, beets, cauliflower, sprouting broccoli and new potatoes sending me into my dip archives, where I quickly found seven favorites to share. I love all of these dips so much. How to choose? Fortunately, you have the whole summer to work your way through them. Chill some rosé, slice a baguette and let the dipping begin.
Goat Cheese and Fried Shallot Dip
Similar to Lipton’s onion soup dip but so much better. Have you ever looked at that ingredient label? You’re cooking from scratch here but we’re talking about 15 minutes. Caramelized shallots, creamy goat cheese, fresh chives. You can make it thin for a dip or thicker for a crostini spread. Any leftovers will elevate a baked potato. Get the recipe.
Pistachio and Feta Dip
From a New York City restaurant, this easy recipe is flawless. I never change a thing, although you could substitute fresh mint for dill or add a few fresh basil leaves. Every time I serve this novel dip, someone asks for the recipe.
Greek Salad Dip
Not Greek but certainly Greekish—hummus on the bottom and all the components of a Greek salad, neatly chopped, on top. I didn’t dream this up (it was all over Instagram) but I’m delighted to steal it. Warm pita or pita chips are the best scoops for this one. Here’s the recipe.
Kathleen Weber’s Pimento Cheese
Weber took a traditional approach to this Southern cult classic, apart from the Spanish piquillo peppers—worth including if you can find them. A splash of Sriracha adds some pep. Piquillo peppers are expensive but they freeze well. Get the recipe.
Brian Noyes’s Smoky Pimento Cheese
Brian Noyes runs a beloved bakery-café in rural Virginia, yet he isn’t afraid to take liberties with pimento cheese. He uses three different cheeses—including hot pepper Jack—and sneaks in some pickled onions and smoked paprika to perk everything up. Here’s his recipe.
Zingerman’s Pimento Cheese
One of the most popular items at this Ann Arbor deli, Zingerman’s pimento cheese toes the line. Grated cheeese, mayo, pimentos. Basta. What elevates this spread is the cheese—a two-year-old Vermont Cheddar. Get Zingerman’s recipe.
Amaryll Schwertner’s Hungarian Liptauer
Schwertner, an acclaimed San Francisco chef is a Budapest native who grew up with homemade Liptauer. Made by her grandmother (a professional chef), it was always in the fridge and often eaten with fresh Hungarian peppers. I like it with radishes and Danish rye. Get the recipe.