Six Very Easy Summer Dips To Serve With Drinks & Crisps (aka Potato Chips)
It's hot and all I want to do is drink cold wine with dips and crisps in the sunshine. How to be an effortless catering Queen. Plus words from hell that I cannot use and the olden days of work.
The moment that the sun comes out, I am no longer interest in hot food. Not even vaguely. Okay, I can extend this out to some pasta or decent pizza, but mostly, I have a salad, tapas and small plates passion when the weather heats up. Take your stews, roasts and bakes away - I am not here for them. I LOVE a small plate. I refuse to say the words ‘picky bits’ as it makes me curl with cringe, although happy to say canapes, snacks, sometimes even nibbles if I’m pushed. ‘Picky bits’ is on my list of words that should not be said unless you are torture threatened or your head will fall off if you refuse. This list, admittedly, is quite long. Also featured are ‘holibobs’ (it’s a HOLIDAY, ffs), ‘hubby/wifey’ (or any derivative including hubster, hubbles, other half, better half, her/him indoors), ‘nook’ (as in creating a cosy nook), ‘hunker’ (as in hunkering down, this makes me want to cut off my own head) and ‘famalam’ (just NO, never, ever). Anyway, I am 100% a no picky bits zone.
Sometimes I think that I could survive entirely on crisps (potato chips, for our American counterparts) and dips for eternity. Given the choice, I would head for Walkers Chicken & Thyme Sensations every day of the week. Even my sister can’t resist these and she’s a vegetarian. Also a huge fan of the M&S Tomatillo & Jalapeno Sweet Potato Tortillas which have the perfect crunch whilst also being sturdy enough to hold a pile of whatever you’re sticking it in. Seriously, I don’t need anything else. Team this crunchy glory with a good dip and a chilled glass of wine and it’s a meal in itself. In the old days, this Golden Trio would have been a Golden Quad with the addition of a Silk Cut, but nowadays they are few and far between.
Oh, how times have changed. When I was 18 (in the late eighties), I worked in London and my friend, Anna, worked as a secretary for Philip Morris Tobacco and one of the perks of her job was that she was given 200 cigarettes of her choice PER WEEK. Imagine! Written into the employment contract, ha. When I was a Head Office PA for TopShop TopMan, we worked hard and played hard and could smoke and drink on the buying and merchandising floor after six. I sometimes think that although it seems like yesterday, if I explained the workplace situation pre the millennium to my children, they would fall over with shock (whilst pulling on pineapple vapes, whacking back protein shakes and working from home three days a week).
But back to crisps, dips and wine and with the Summer now in full swing, this is the perfect time to perfect your repertoire of dips to impress. Yes, yes, I know you can go and buy them from the supermarket but where is the fun in that? They’re also expensive (£3.60 for the Smoked Salmon & Dill Dip in M&S - madness, I tell you). Making your own is much more satisfying, plus you get about six times the quantity which means you can eat even more crisps. It’s also a great gift if you’ve been invited to someone’s house - buy a lovely bowl (this one from Toast is SO GOOD for a special event) and whack your dip in to present to them at the door with a bag of Torres and a bottle of Whispering Angel. You’ll be the best of the guests with very little effort, I tell you (actually, I am working on a Best Guest Gifts For Hosts list after being inspired by
’s the other week so will report back on this soon).Anyway, I have bypassed the standard guacamole, hummus etc in favour of some which are a little more exciting (well, sort of) and have gone one step further and, for fun, paired them with the perfect crisp and chilled wine for maximum Summer enjoyment. Please note here I am NOT a wine expert, this is MY perfect pairing with absolutely no other definition other than that I like drinking it. Please don’t report me to the Wine Police. As is usual with my simple recipes, you can substitute with vegan alternatives and also get creative if you’re missing some ingredients (creme fraiche or yoghurt instead of sour cream, for example).
So here are five that are SO easy - and delicious - that you’ll be laughing in the face of shop bought in no time. In fact, they are barely even recipes, just throw together items that you will mostly have in your fridge. And not a picky bit (*vomits) in sight. PS: If you are also a fan of a canape, remember that if you’re a paid subscriber you can access eight years worth of canape recipes via the FOOD tab here.
Smoked Salmon, Capers & Dill
I love a smoked salmon dip, mostly because they are so easy to pull together with no cooking and mostly what you have in the fridge. This one benefits from a bit of whizzing but if you don’t have a hand blender then it’s perfectly fine just to cut it small and mix it up. Also, this is AMAZING on a bagel the next morning.
You will need: 150g smoked salmon trimmings; 200g cream cheese; 50g sour cream; juice of half and zest of one lemon; handful of capers; bunch of dill.
Method: Mix the cream cheese with the sour cream and season well with salt and pepper. Add the juice of the lemon, plus the zest, then stir in or blitz the lot along with the smoked salmon (reserve some for the top). Finely chop the capers and stir in, then 2 teaspoons of fresh dill. Serve with the extra smoked salmon and dill on the top.
Hot Honey, Whipped Ricotta & Lemon Thyme
Is it possible to have too much cheese? Just in case you are debating this, the answer is NO. Which is why we have added parmesan to the ricotta here because one cheese is never enough. This will take you about three minutes to make and the ingredients are easy to keep in the fridge for a social event emergency.
You will need: 200g pot of ricotta; 50g grated parmesan cheese; juice of half and zest of one lemon; splash of extra virgin olive oil; 2 teaspoons of sour cream, tablespoon of honey (heated in the microwave to loosen it); bunch of lemon thyme.
Method: Use your hand blender to whizz the ricotta in a bowl with a splash of olive oil, the lemon juice, zest, parmesan, sour cream and salt and pepper seasoning until nice and smooth. Dollop in a bowl. Heat your honey in the microwave and drizzle on the top, then garnish with thyme leaves.
Muhammara
This is one of my all time favourite dips that can be endlessly multi tasked - great as a dip, also works brilliantly with meats and vegetables as an accompaniment. It’s a Levantine dish and perfect served before a meal. Once you’ve made it, you can keep it in a jar in the fridge. SO good. This is based on the Ottolenghi version as he is the BEST.
You will need: 3 large jarred red peppers; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 tablespoon chilli flakes; 100g chopped walnuts (plus extra to serve); 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Method: Blitz the lot, baby. You can also do by hand but it takes longer and I am always here for a shortcut. Add the olive oil to the desired consistency and then spread it into a bowl or on a plate and sprinkle with the extra chopped walnuts.
Sweet Chilli & Cream Cheese
This comes from my friend Pandora and when she serves it at parties, people FALL on it. It is absolutely the easiest idea known to man yet tastes really good and has only a couple of ingredients. Add some chopped coriander and no one will know the whole thing is out of a jar.
You will need: 200g cream cheese; jar of Sweet Chilli Sauce; bunch of coriander.
Method: Put your cream cheese in a bowl and mix it up well with some salt and pepper until nice and creamy. Spread on a plate and top with the chilli sauce and some chopped coriander. Literally, easy as that.
Boursin & Crispy Bacon
I am here for cooking ease, every time, and I am also here for Boursin. I am slightly obsessed with it (did you know if you bake it with cherry tomatoes it basically makes a ready made pasta sauce?) and ALWAYS have some in the fridge to have with crackers for lunch. I tried this the other day and it worked brilliantly - I topped with crispy bacon (my family are crazy about those bacon bits) but you could also top with some roasted tomatoes, whatever floats your boat.
You will need: One packet of Boursin; a spoonful of sour cream; a dash of olive oil; one packet of crispy bacon to crumble; bunch of chives.
Method: Whizz up your Boursin, sour cream and olive oil, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Put in a dish, crumble the bacon over the top and snip some chives to make it look vaguely healthy.
Creamy Pesto
I’ve talked about always having some Greek yoghurt in the fridge at all times before, basically because it can create a dish out of pretty much anything, whether that be a creamy sauce, a salad dressing or, as in this case, a dip. This takes seconds - I used green pesto but red is equally good.
You will need: Jar of pesto; small pot of Greek yoghurt (full fat for the win); grated parmesan; pine nuts to garnish.
Method: Take a large spoonful of pesto and mix into the yoghurt - decant into a bowl and sprinkle with parmesan and pine nuts. Job done.
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Love your dips but here is the ultimate.. 1cup of edamame beans(defrosted) 1 avocado. -00 gms of feta cheese, 1 tbs lemon zest, 1tbs lemon juice. Blitz.. Takes taste buds to a new level..
My husband introduced me to the easiest but most delicious concoction- a block of cream cheese, liberally doused in soy sauce and topped with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with original ritz crackers. Sounds gross, is delicious!