The hot weather is here and so is the season of picnics and lunch on the porch. In hot and humid weather, something that is quick and easy to whip up is often just the ticket. Peering over a hot stovetop just sounds miserable.

Dips are the perfect dish for a light lunch, appetizer, or for packing up in a picnic basket.  Chop up some carrot, peppers, and celery, or grab some flatbread, chips, pita, or crackers to use as dipping tools.

Homemade dips are versatile and can be made to accommodate all dietary restrictions and requirements from vegan, gluten-free, fat-free, and high protein to raw.  They are usually super easy to make and can be made in a quantity that suits the size of your appetite or number of guests.

Check out these OGP dip recipes for some summer snack inspiration.

1. Guacanoochi

Source: Guacanoochi/One Green Planet

Guacanoochi you say? Sound familiar?  Well, this delicious dip by Adam Merrin and Ryan Alvarez takes the beloved guacamole and soups it up with a healthy amount of nutritional yeast to make an extra healthy, extra flavorful avocado-based dip.  Don’t forget the chips!

2. Red Pepper Cashew Queso Dip with Baked Tortilla Chips

Source: Red Pepper Cashew Queso Dip with Baked Tortilla Chips/One Green Planet

This Red Pepper Cashew Queso Dip with Baked Tortilla Chips recipe by Christine DesRoches takes a traditional cheese-based recipe and flips it into a plant-based delight.  This recipe comes with instructions on making your own baked tortilla chips, too, to impress your friends.  Serve this dip warm or straight from the fridge.

3. Bean Salsa with Homemade Tortilla Chips

Source: Bean Salsa with Homemade Tortilla Chips/One Green Planet

You can’t go far wrong with a classic bean dip.  Showing up to a gathering with this Bean Salsa with Homemade Tortilla Chips by Natalie Martin MS, RD and Lexie Staten MS, RD will keep you popular for sure.  Here is another recipe that encourages you to make tortilla chips, too.

4. Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Source: Roasted Red Pepper Dip/One Green Planet

Roasted red peppers, walnuts, and lemon juice go into making this Roasted Red Pepper Dip by Diane Smith.  This dip is perfect for a party, or you can build a whole menu around it.  Get yourself some raw veggies and start dipping in this creamy and perfectly spicy dip.

5. Lemony White Bean Dip

Source: Lemony White Bean Dip/One Green Planet

If you are looking for something a little different from the standard hummus, why not swap out the chickpeas for some white cannellini beans? In this recipe for Lemony White Bean Dip by Crissy Cavanaugh, the beans make for a much creamier dip and the lemon gives you that well-known zing.

6. Refried Beans

Source:  Refried Beans/One Green Planet

With just six ingredients, you can have yourself a classic.  Refried Beans are ideal for dipping or for spooning over a big plate of nachos. Mireille Aikman‘s recipe is so easy it will have you dipping away in no time.

7. Easy Peanut Salsa

Source: Easy Peanut Salsa/One Green Planet

Here is another delicious yet simple recipe by Mireille Aikman.  This crowd-pleaser of a dip has just the right balance of nuttiness, sweetness, and spice. This Easy Peanut Salsa has a flavor that is reminiscent of the types of sauces that you might find on noodles or stirfry dishes.

8. Moutabal (Middle-Eastern Eggplant Dip)

Source: Moutabal (Middle-Eastern Eggplant Dip)/One Green Planet

This Moutabal (Middle-Eastern Eggplant Dip) by Adam Merrin and Ryan Alvarez is made by roasting an eggplant on your stovetop until the skin becomes blackened.  Then this deliciously smokey eggplant is blended with lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cayenne, and cumin to make a deep and creamy dip that will go down a treat.

9. Thai Red Curry Sweet Potato Dip

Source: Thai Red Curry Sweet Potato Dip/One Green Planet

Here is another dip made with white beans for that extra creamy texture.  In this Thai Red Curry Sweet Potato Dip by The Vegan 8, the beans are blended with succulent sweet potatoes and deeply spicy Thai red curry to make a delicious dip.

10. Red Chimichurri Sauce

Source:  Red Chimichurri Sauce/One Green Planet

But chimichurri is green, right?  Well, the parsley-based one is, yes.  However, this Red Chimichurri Sauce by Mireille Aikman is made using sweet red peppers.  This is a beautifully vibrant dip that will certainly be a winner and any pot-luck or party.

Have a go at making some of your own healthy and satisfying dips, and find yourself very popular at the next porch party or picnic.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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