Quick and Easy Olive Dip

Pour a can of green olive rings into a container, add a splash of olive oil, two fresh garlic cloves, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and dried basil. Then blend it with an immersion blender. This is so popular with my kids that we usually have to ration it out at the Shabbos table!

—Sara Bonchek, associate editor

Creamy Eggplant Dip

This is one of our favorites.

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1–2 cloves garlic
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• salt and pepper, to taste

Slice eggplants in half, lay on a baking sheet skin side down, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350°F (175°C) until the inside is nice and soft and juices are oozing out, about 20–30 minutes (depending on size). When cool, scoop out the flesh into a food processor. Add garlic, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth and creamy.

—Sivan Schwam, graphics

Blend Twice, Clean Once…

In our business, techinah is by far the most popular dip we sell. (I’ve been known to hoard the final container even when last-minute customers call to order some!) I can’t tell you what’s in it because, well, it’s top secret. But I will tell you this. Whatever fresh techinah recipe you have in your blender, when you’re finished with the batch, leave some techinah to process and add some roasted eggplant, roasted zucchini, or even roasted garlic for the more adventurous of your eaters. Give it a whirl and now you have a second dip option.

—Chaia Frishman, columnist

Super-Easy Pesto Mayo

My favorite dip hack is to mix store-bought pesto with some mayonnaise for a super easy pesto mayo.

—Miriam Pascal, recipe columnist

Mayo-Dill Dip

I don’t really have measurements, but I blend mayo, fresh dill, garlic, Dijon, and lemon juice. It’s great with fish.

—Chanie Apfelbaum, columnist

Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Dip

Make sure you have a lot of warm challah available for this recipe — our guests can’t get enough of it!

• 1 large eggplant, diced
• 5–6 cloves garlic, chopped
• olive oil
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise

Place eggplant and garlic on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Roast at 400°F (200°C) for about 40 minutes, until the edges are blackened. Remove from oven. While still warm, mix in the mayonnaise. Serve chilled.

—Chani Judowitz, writer and illustrator

Onion Dip Hack

Defrost 4–6 frozen sautéed onion cubes in a small bowl. Add 1 generous tsp of mayonnaise. Stir together and enjoy.

—Rivky Kleiman, recipe columnist

Harissa

A family favorite is harissa (red pepper dip), which you can make as mild or hot as you like.

• 8–9 red bell peppers
• 1–2 dried whole chili peppers, or more, optional (I use the little Mexican ones from Pereg)
• 2–3 cloves garlic, run through a press
• salt, to taste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• ¹⁄₂ tsp chili powder
• 3 Tbsp olive oil or other cooking oil
• 1 tsp white vinegar

Wash and seed the peppers. Cut them into chunks, put them into a food processor, and grind until fine (this will take a couple of batches). Dump them into a saucepan with the hot peppers and let them simmer until most of the water has evaporated (this can take up to an hour). Add the oil, garlic, salt, and spices and let simmer for another half hour or so, until the color has darkened somewhat and the consistency looks right. Stir in the vinegar at the very end. Also great as a condiment on sandwiches, mixed with pasta, or as a filling for an omelet.

—Barbara Bensoussan, columnist

Creamy Dill Dip

This recipe is incredible with salmon. It’s adapted from The Balabuste’s Cookbook 2.

• ¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1–3 frozen dill cubes, depending on how strong you want it
• ¹⁄₂ tsp onion powder
• ¹⁄₄ tsp black pepper Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

—Rochel Samet, writer

Sweet Onion Dip

This recipe is really yummy and easy to make.

• 3 medium-sized onions, diced
• ¹⁄₂ cup oil
• ²⁄₃ cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Pour a thin layer of oil into a 9×13-inch (20×30- cm) pan. Spread diced onions over the oil and sprinkle generously with salt and a tiny dash of pepper. Bake, stirring occasionally, until onions turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place caramelized onions in a food processor together with the mayonnaise. Blend together until well combined. You can also add some diced red pepper once the onions are starting to brown, to change it up a bit, or red pepper flakes, to spice it up. May be doubled as needed.

—Faigy Grossman, recipe columnist

Homemade Techinah

We usually serve a few dips — chummus, roasted red pepper dip, pesto, tomato dip, eggplant varieties, etc., but it’s just not Shabbos without techinah! My kids even drizzle it on their gefilte fish!

The base recipe is always the same — 1 cup tahini paste to 1 cup of water, fresh lemon juice (be generous), salt and pepper to taste, 2–3 cloves garlic, and a handful of fresh parsley (don’t leave this out; it adds a lot of flavor). Blend all together. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Make a lot and freeze for future use. Toppings vary — sometimes we’ll add sautéed onions and mushrooms in the center, or bite-size pieces of roasted peppers. Use your imagination!

—Brynie Greisman, recipe columnist

Roasted Eggplant Dip

I just got the most amazing recipe for an eggplant dip from my sister-in-law — the texture and flavor will surely surpass any that you’ve tried until now. Thanks, Chaya!

• 1 onion, diced
• oil, for sautéing
• 1 eggplant
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté the onion in oil until it’s golden brown. Peel eggplant. Wrap in foil and poke a few holes in the foil with a fork. Bake for 1 hour at 400°F (200°C). Allow to cool slightly. Place onion, eggplant, hard-boiled egg, and seasonings in a food processor and blend until smooth. Note: This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

—Sara Rosenbaum, graphics

Roasted Garlic

My son-in-law introduced us to this, and we all love it. It’s not a classic dip, but it’s fabulous on challah.

• 6–8 heads garlic
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• olive oil, to cover

Peel the garlic and place the cloves into a small loaf pan. Add soy sauce and salt. Pour on enough olive oil to nearly cover the cloves. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for at least one hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the cloves are extremely soft. We put it on the hotplate before Shabbos so we can enjoy it hot on Friday night. It’s great on its own, and also over a thin layer of chummus. If there’s any leftover — there rarely is — it’s a superb addition to any recipe calling for garlic (ditto for the garlic-infused oil).

—Bassi Gruen, managing editor

Eggplant and Pepper Dip

Great for a change of pace from the standard eggplant dip!

• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 large eggplant
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 red peppers, cut into thin slices
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• dash of red pepper flakes
• juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Puree tomatoes in a food processor and set aside. Cut eggplant into little sticks, about ¹⁄₂-inch. Toss with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes until done. In a large frying pan, fry garlic and peppers until soft. Add tomato puree and spices. Add the eggplant and mix well. Remove from heat. Once it’s cooled a bit, add lemon juice and seasonings and mix well. You can also add chopped parsley or coriander.

—Sivan Schwam, graphics

Parsley Dip

Fresh and delicious.

• 1 pkg fresh parsley
• 4–5 Tbsp mayonnaise
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper, to taste

Blend everything together and adjust seasonings to taste.

—Sivan Schwam, graphics

Roasted Garlic Dip This is my son’s new favorite: Peel garlic cloves. Add oil, cover well, and bake. Add crushed red pepper flakes as desired. —Toby Vogel, writer

Super-Easy Onion Dip

Shabbos in our house is not complete without a variety of homemade dips. We love to change them up, experiment, and have a different selection each week. Here’s a winner from our repertoire.

• 1 onion, diced
• mayonnaise, to cover
• brown sugar, to taste

Sauté the onion until soft and brown at the edges. Transfer to a small container and add mayonnaise to cover. Add a little bit of brown sugar. Mix and enjoy!

—Rochel Samet, writer

Best-Ever Guacamole

Most of my dip recipes come straight from the pages of this magazine! Here’s a family favorite, adapted from a recipe that Bassi submitted to What’s Cooking several years ago.

• 3–4 ripe avocados, chopped
• 4–5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• ¹⁄₂ red onion, diced
• ¹⁄₄ cup mayonnaise
• 1–2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Tip: I find that fresh lemon juice helps keep it from turning brown — it can last in the fridge for a week.

—Chaya Baila Lieber, copy editor

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 702)