Layered Veggies & Hummus Dip

This vibrant party dip is beautiful on the plate and features a colorful array of chopped vegetables and fresh herbs, marinated in a rich blend of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and layered over creamy hummus. Served with large, sturdy chips, your guests will love scooping Layered Veggies & Hummus Dip right off the plate, enjoying the burst of flavors and crunch. Ideal for parties, movie nights, game day gatherings, or as a nutritious snack, this dip is not only easy to prepare but also healthier than your typical appetizer dip. Make-ahead easy and vegetarian, low-carb, and Blue Zones friendly.

It’s holiday party season as I write this, and while December always means that I’m obsessed with appetizers and creating new holiday appetizer recipes, I have to admit that this one quickly became a personal standout favorite.

It’s not that I don’t love a gooey, cheesy, creamy, deeply savory indulgence dip. Because I do! Oh, yes, indeedy.

But I have to appreciate a party dip that’s both over-the-top delicious and healthy in the bargain. Layered Veggies & Hummus Dip is vegetarian (also vegan), gluten-free, and diabetic-friendly, with loads of fresh vegetables, herbs, and chickpeas (in the hummus). Of course, if you have strict dietary rules, double-check the labels of all of your ingredients (e.g., especially the vinegar) to ensure they fit your restrictions.

This dip is even Blue Zones friendly and goes great as a little side snack with Sardinian Longevity Minestrone, or as a quick lunch spread on toast or a bagel.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The beauty of this dip is that it can be whatever you want it to be, as it’s highly flexible. Here are the ingredients I used in the photos on this recipe:

Hummus: Use your favorite flavor. Mine is roasted red pepper, but I used lemon here with a great result. If you’re serving more than 5 or 6 people, get the 16-ounce tub. Otherwise, a 10-ounce tub will do for a few people snacking while watching a movie or playing a game.

Many brands of hummus have a layer of some kind of topping — herbs or chopped veggies — just go ahead and mix it all in until creamy.

Chopped Vegetables: One of the things I love about this dip is that it really doesn’t take a lot of veggies to create it. So, you can choose just a few, or if you love a good medley, as many different kinds as you want.

I always use English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and Castelvetrano olives because I love this combination, and I almost always have these on hand already. But here are some other suggestions to consider: bell peppers, roasted red peppers, zucchini, green onions.

The key, in my opinion, is that the veggies are basically soft vs. crunchy. Hard veggies like carrots, jicama, celery, and cauliflower are a bit too crunchy to produce the texture I’m looking for. But it’s completely up to you, of course!

Chop everything into a small dice so that they fit and stay on a chip during the scoop.

Herbs: I’m a huge fan of fresh herbs and I use a lot here, about a tablespoon each of minced fresh dill, basil, and cilantro. You could also try flat-leaf parsley, mint, chives, or thyme.

And actually, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using dried herbs — or freeze-dried, which are sometimes available in the refrigerated section of produce — just use about a teaspoon or less, as dried are more intense than fresh.

Salt and Pepper: Always season your veggie mix with a sprinkle of kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. This ensures that every bite is well-balanced and that the veggies are too, well, vegetal.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A light drizzle of your favorite extra virgin olive oil over the vegetable mix will help the veggie dices cling together on the chip, and adds a lovely richness to the dip.

Balsamic Vinegar: For a nice acid kick, sprinkle a bit of balsamic vinegar over the veggie mix. I like balsamic vinegar because it has a hint of sweetness that balances the astringency of the vegetables. But you could also use a good red wine vinegar.

Lime juice: A little squeeze of lime adds a nice brightness to the veggie mixture.

How to Make Layered Veggie & Hummus Dip — a Visual Guide

This dip is wonderfully easy, and after you make it once, you’ll have it committed to memory. Don’t forget to review the full recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Prepare the marinated veggies and herbs

Chop your selection of cleaned vegetables into small dices. Mince the herbs finely. You’ll need about 2 cups total of everything. Mix together in a bowl. Season with a good sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Lightly drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the veggie mix, and toss.

Step 2: Prepare the hummus

Thoroughly stir the tub of hummus until it’s smooth and creamy, incorporating any toppings that it might have come packaged with the hummus. Spoon onto a salad plate (8″) and smooth out to the edges.

Step 3: Assemble the dip

Spoon the veggie mixture on top of the hummus in an even flat layer, leaving the edges of hummus around the plate visible, for aesthetics. The veggies should cover the hummus on the interior. If you have leftover veggies, don’t throw them away! Stash the bowl in the fridge and add to a green salad, or use as a topping on baked chicken or salmon.

Cook’s tips

• The components of the Layered Veggies & Hummus Dip can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. You can make the veggie mixture the morning of or even the night before. The hummus, of course, is already prepared. Hold off putting the two dip parts together until you’re ready to serve.
• For an extra flavor kick, top the layered dip with crumbled feta or goat cheese.
• Leftovers can go in the fridge. I usually just mix everything together and add it back to the empty hummus tub, if I’ve kept it around (or a bowl). It’s delicious all mixed together like that for a healthy snack with lunch or afternoon pick-me-up.
• Serve with a variety of large, sturdy chips, such as pita chips and tortilla chips. For the low-carb folx in your group, Quest chips are always a nice option to have on hand for a party.

Layered Veggies & Hummus Dip is a versatile, crowd-pleasing appetizer, and is a healthy counterpoint to other cheesy, bready options on your party. It’s also easy enough to whip up on a whim for a night in with family and friends.

More party dips to try:

• Triple Layer Guacamole Dip
• Loaded Skyline Chili Dip
• Baked Artichoke Olive Dip

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Layered Veggies & Hummus Dip

An easy to make, crowd-pleasing dip featuring your favorite chopped and marinated veggies spread over a layer of creamy hummus. Serve with sturdy chips and scoop up this tasty, irresistible treat. Healthy and vegetarian friendly.

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Prep Time20 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hummus dip, layered veggie & hummus dip

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

You'll need about two cups altogether of:

• Diced cucumber (part of an English cucumber)
• Diced cherry tomatoes (5 or 6 tomatoes)
• Diced red onions (quarter of a red onion)
• Kosher salt and black pepper for seasoning

Herbs:

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Marinade:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Half of a lime

For the base:

• 10 ounce tub of prepared hummus (use your favorite flavor)

Instructions

• Combine the chopped veggies and minced herbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil over the vegetable mixture, followed by a few sprinkles of the balsamic vinegar, and a squeeze of the lime. Toss well and taste. The vegetables should be vibrant and coated with the marinated. Set aside.
• Open the tub of hummus and stir the contents well, incorporating any toppings that came on the hummus.
• Spoon all of the hummus onto a salad plate (about 8″), smoothing the hummus out to the edges of the plate.
• Add the veggie mixture on top of the hummus in a flat, even layer. The veggies should cover the hummus, but leave a 1/4″ of hummus visible around the edge of the plate for aesthetics.
• Serve with sturdy chips, such as pita chips, tortilla chips, or small rounds of toasted bread.

Notes

If serving a crowd larger than 5 or 6, use a 16 ounce tub of hummus and chop up a few more veggies. Use a 10″ plate or a very shallow bowl.

Keep the vegetable dice small so that they easily fit on a chip.

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.