Latest news with #dips
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
You're eating hummus wrong! Oxford scientist reveals the common error people make when enjoying the dip
We've all been eating hummus wrong, according to a top Oxford University foodie. Gastrophysics expert Professor Charles Spence said Brits should ditch carrot sticks and scoop up the chickpea-based spread with crisps or tortilla chips instead. It came as new data revealed hummus is the UK's favourite dip, loved by more than three quarters of us. Professor Spence said the issue is with crudités - the sliced raw vegetables commonly used for dipping. He said: 'The slim nature of a crudité risks hummus dropping all over your trousers, given the heavier load and smaller dipper surface area.' He added: 'For optimum crunch, crisps and dips need to be brought together at the moment of eating to maintain the texture contrast between the crispy, crunchy sound of the chip and the tangy tasty dip. 'Even the shape of your dipper makes a difference, with pointy triangular chips priming a strong taste, while rounder-shaped dippers are more consistent with a sweeter, more balanced taste. 'At the same time, it's important not to compromise on the scoopability of your dip. 'Something curved up at the sides, like a crisp, might be just the thing for those who like a little more of the dip with their chip.' And Professor Spence poured scorn on the trend for eating hummus with pitta bread. He said: 'Although pitta and hummus may seem like a match made in heaven, it is more perfectly partnered with tzatziki due to its soft texture and subtle flavour.' His comments came in response to a new survey by Waitrose, which found hummus was the UK's number one dip. A whopping 76 per cent - three quarters - of Brits said the Middle Eastern plant-based paste was their favourite. Meanwhile guacamole, salsa, sour cream and tzatziki round off the top five. Waitrose brand development chef Will Torrent said: 'There's actually real technique involved in pairing crisps and dip. 'Many of our hero dips are very creamy, packed with flavour, rich and indulgent, so finding a dunking device that will stand up to those flavours and textures can take some trial and error. 'Thicker dips, like guacamole or hummus, need a sturdier chip, like a ridged crisp or tortilla. 'Meanwhile, thin crisps suit light whipped dips like taramasalata. 'You want a crisp that can support the weight of the dip without dominating the flavour. 'It's all about ratio and resistance - no one wants a snapped crisp mid-scoop.' The survey found almost one in 10 Brits double-dipped every single time they enjoyed a dip. However, more than half reckon the double-dip habit is a food crime.
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
How to turn veg scraps into a delicious dip – recipe
My friend Hayley North is a retreat chef whose cooking is inspired by the Chinese 'five elements' theory: fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Each element corresponds to a colour and an organ in the body (earth, for example, is yellow and linked to the spleen). Years ago, Hayley made me the most deliciously vibrant and earthy bright-red dip from kale, and today's recipe is a homage to her nourishing, elemental approach, while also saving scraps from the bin. I love the adage 'eat the rainbow'. Yes, it's a bit corny, but it works, and sometimes the simplest advice is really the best. Eating a variety of colourful plants increases nutrient diversity, which supports a healthy gut. These dips are a vibrant, low-waste way to add colour, fibre and flavour to your plate by using up whatever's already in the fridge or even destined for the compost bin. These dips can be as simple as just blending leftover boiled carrots with white beans, olive oil and lemon juice to create a bright orange spread, but here I've gone all in with vegetable scraps to prove a point: real discards such as pepper tops, radish greens and beetroot peelings are not only edible, but, with the application of a little love and care, they can be absolutely delicious. My usual advice is not to peel vegetables at all, because it saves time and money, while retaining flavour and fibre. But if you do peel or trim, those scraps can still be saved and used. So, this is a blueprint rather than a strict recipe: each version follows the same base formula and can be adapted to whatever you have in the house. For a dinner party, I like to make a few different-coloured dips and serve them on a platter with crudites, rye bread or crackers. Here are the four combinations I made: Red – red pepper trimmings, red apple peel, cranberries, smoked paprika; Yellow – squash skins, sweet potato peel, carrot tops and tails, turmeric, orange zest, sesame; Green – broad bean pods, courgette tops, cucumber skin, coriander stalks, cardamom, cashew, pumpkin seeds; Purple – beetroot peel, red cabbage skin, dates, cumin, sumac. Base recipe (makes 1 batch, so multiply to make a rainbow)150g raw veg scraps (eg, pepper tops, beetroot peel, courgette ends, but choose one colour of vegetable per dip)130g cooked white beans (eg butter beans or cannellini), drained and liquid reserved2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice, or vinegarSea salt, to taste Optional extras and toppings (choose to suit your dip's colour and flavour)1 small garlic clove, peeledUnwaxed citrus zest (lemon, lime, orange)2 tbsp tahini, or nuts2-4 dates, cranberries or goji berries1–2 tsp ground spices (smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, za'atar)Soft herb stalks and/or leaves (eg. mint, coriander, parsley), for toppingChilli flakes, or chopped fresh chilliToasted seeds, or dukkah or chopped herbs, to serve Steam or blanch the vegetable leftovers or clean scraps for five minutes, sticking to one colour of vegetable per dip. Tip the steamed vegetables into a high-speed blender, add the cooked white beans, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt, then add a splash of the reserved bean liquid to help blend smoothly. Depending on your choice of scraps and desired flavour, add any optional extras that will enhance the flavour and colour – garlic, citrus zest for punch, tahini or nuts for richness, dates, cranberries or dried apricots for sweetness, as well as ground spices and chilli flakes for red heat. Blitz to a smooth, hummus-like consistency, adding more bean liquid if required, then taste and adjust for seasoning, as well as to balance the acidity, richness and sweetness. Serve as a dip or spread, topped with toasted seeds, chopped herbs or dukkah, if you like. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
The Sun
07-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Five ways to make your own dips using ingredients you may already have
YOU'LL be loaded this summer with the latest food trend. Nibbles and dips piled with extras are everywhere, from hummus with falafel at Sainsbury's to Marks & Spencer's mascarpone with roas-ted tomatoes and Parmesan. But you can make your own using ingredients you may already have . . . HEAPED HUMMUS: Start with an inexpensive pot of basic hummus. Pour it into a bowl and transform it with a tasty topping. Roast a drained tin of chickpeas with olive oil and salt. Put this on top of the hummus with chopped fresh herbs or crispy onions. For something cheesy, crumble over Greek-style cheese, chopped olives or cucumber and a sprinkle of smoked paprika — or swap the cheese for cherry tomatoes. LOADED LEAVES: Sturdy lettuce such as little gem can hold a topping. Add shredded chicken, grated carrot and sliced cucumber then top with a dollop of mayo or drizzle of sauce. Make sweet satay with peanut butter, sweet chilli sauce and a dash of soy sauce. For a fishy dish, mix tinned salmon with spring onion, plain yoghurt and a squirt of lemon juice, then add leaves. TOP YOG: You can give a yoghurt-based dip like Greek tzatziki a lift. Serve in a dish and load with chopped tomatoes, peppers, red onion, cucumber, parsley and pine nuts. Add a swirl of olive oil. CHIP FOR THE TOP: Loaded crisps are a great way to use up leftovers. Get a bag of tortilla or pitta chips, tip them on to a baking sheet and pour over some shop-bought salsa. Add chopped chicken, crispy bacon bits, sliced peppers, tomato chunks or olives. Finally, add grated cheese and bake until hot and bubbly. BETTER BANANAS: Fire up your fruit. Split open a banana and top with peanut butter, crumbled biscuits and honey. Or load the banana with chopped strawberries, blue-berries, nuts and a grating of dark chocolate. The Batch Lady shares her recipe for sundried tomato hummus All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability Deal of the day GIVE your feet a treat with the leopard-print heeled Mary Janes from Office, down from £55.99 to £18. Cheap treat FOR tasty comfort food, Gu's Hot Chocolate Melt In The Middle Puddings (2 x 90g) are down from £3.95 to £2.95 at Morrisons. Top swap TAKE dinner up a notch with the Romy speckle- glaze 12-piece stoneware dinner set from John Lewis, £75. Or serve up in style on the Reactive Blue set from Dunelm, £35. Shop & save 7 MAKE short work of tea time with four frozen favourites for £4.98 at Asda. With some of the deal's 13 items costing £2.48, including Birds Eye 12 Chicken Dippers, you could save almost 50 per cent. Hot right now PADEL is one of the fastest-growing sports, so join in the fun with Lidl's Padel Starter Kit, £14.99, including a racket, balls and bag. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
The Guardian
03-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Which dips are OK to buy, and which should I make?
Dips are a great unifier, whether they're married to a big bowl of crisps and crudites or served as a companion for a picnic spread. If there's hummus, cacik or borani in the picture, then it's a party. Happily, says David Carter, founder of Smokestak, Manteca and Oma in London, 'you can get a lot of good stuff in stores these days'. That said, he adds, anything involving vegetables is 'always going to be best when made fresh'. If your dip needs lead you to the shops, the trick is to create contrast. Much like getting dressed, you first need to consider the temperature. 'Let's say you have some shop-bought hummus,' Carter says. 'If you put that in a pan with a bit of hot water and maybe some lemon juice, then whisk, the hummus will loosen, turn creamy and completely change from the usual fridge-cold stodge.' Next, you've then got to accessorise your tub, which means toppings: 'A lot of our dips in the restaurants have some form of texture, whether that's crisp garlic, seeds or crisps,' he says. 'If you've got something like a silky-smooth labneh and think, how am I going to jazz this up, spiced chickpeas would be one answer.' Similarly, Carter tops his baba ganoush with a 'very hot' tahini sauce and some crisp artichokes: 'That's contrast exaggerated.' Sami Tamimi, author of Boustany (out in June), meanwhile, is not a fan of dips that take a lot of time, which is why you'll always find yoghurt or labneh in his fridge ('I don't make my own any more'). They're an easy win, and can be quickly turned into a dip with the addition of a squeeze of lemon, some garlic and whatever spices or herbs (fresh or dried) you have to hand: 'If you're doing a barbecue – especially if there's a fatty piece of fish or meat involved – mix yoghurt with tahini, and add a little sun-dried tomato, some garlic, herbs and a lot of lemon juice.' If, like Tamimi, your entertaining MO is to pile a load of dishes in the middle of the table, you also have to draw the line somewhere. For Tamimi, that line is tzatziki: 'I just buy it, but the thing with readymade dips is that they don't taste fresh, so you need to add a bit of zing.' That's not to say you need to get all fancy, mind: just a squeeze of lemon, a bit of lemon zest and/or some fresh herbs (think mint, coriander) will 'bring it to life'. While we're at it, no one is ever making their own taramasalata (no arguments, please), so head to the shops and that's a 'really nice addition to brunch with bagels and smoked salmon', Tamimi adds. One dip that you'll never catch him buying, however, is hummus: 'That's a big no-no. Shop-bought versions have so many stabilisers, they always taste grainy and they're made with not enough tahini and not enough, well, everything!' Hummus, he insists, should be made fresh ('I boil more chickpeas than I need and freeze half for another day') and eaten within two days. 'There are nicer things you can buy, so, when it comes to hummus, just make it.' Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@
