Ideas For Making Your Own Chip Dips

It is easy to save money in your food budget when you know which things to learn how to make at home. Salad dressings, chip dips, and other jarred condiments are expensive but often contain very inexpensive ingredients. Here are some ideas for making your own chip dips.

Onion dip:
Dried onion is the main ingredient to this dip. Onion chip dip comes in refrigerated tubs in stores, and it is also commonly made from a dried onion soup mix. You can go even more homemade than that by utilizing the correct spices. Diversify your dip base ingredients, and you can have an onion dip for every occasion. Here is the basic recipe:
2c cream base (sour cream, yogurt, or cream cheese)
2T dried onion flakes
1tsp garlic powder
2tsp kosher salt
ground pepper to taste
1/4c chopped fresh chives or green onions
Cream ingredients and put in a covered container in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Change the base to change the purpose of the dip. Use a yogurt base, and it becomes a creamy salad dressing. Sour cream makes a wonderful chip dip. Using cream cheese as the base makes an excellent onion-flavored cream cheese for bagels, but it can also be used as a chip or vegetable dip.

Ranch Dip:
1c cream base
1c mayonnaise
2T dried dill
1tsp garlic powder
2tsp dried parsley
1tsp onion powder
1tsp celery salt
2tsp powdered buttermilk
1Tsp kosher salt
ground pepper to taste

Again, use yogurt for a creamy salad dressing, use sour cream for a chip dip with more substance, and use cream cheese for a lovely sandwich spread or vegetable dip. Perfect this recipe, and you'll always have what you need on-hand to create a great party dish, straight from your cupboard.

No-cheese queso
1c raw cashews
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1T sea salt
1/4c water, and as needed


Let all ingredients soak in water for about 20 minutes, then blend on high. Use a spoon or spatula to gently urge the mixture to blend. It will be very thick and it will take some coaxing to get the mixture fully blended. Add extra water if needed to get it to blend. This is a potent dip that goes well with tortilla chips and raw vegetables. You'll be surprised at how cheesy it tastes, even though it is completely vegan and dairy-free.

Salsa
3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 habanera pepper
1c cilantro
2T sea salt
juice of 1/2 lime

Carefully slice the stem off the habanera pepper, but do not touch the exposed flesh. Place all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse several times until the salsa is the desired consistency. Let sit at room temperature for two hours to let flavors marry. Serve with light, greasy tortilla chips.

Black bean dip
1c cooked black beans
1 tomato, chopped
2tsp dried oregano
1T dried cumin
1tsp garlic powder
juice of 1 lemon

Mash beans or run through a food processor until nearly smooth. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with blue corn chips or zucchini rounds.