The Classic Dip Ingredient You Never Thought To Add To Hummus

If you've got a spare can of chickpeas lying around, turning it into hummus can be an easy way to use it up. This smooth, nutty, and slightly tangy dip is ideal for scooping onto carrots, pita chips, pretzels, and tons of other snacks. At its simplest, a creamy homemade hummus typically contains the aforementioned chickpeas, tahini, oil, and lemon juice. Then, seasonings like garlic, cumin, and saffron help to complete the picture and add nuance to your dip. However, rather than sticking with these classic seasonings, you can also enhance it further by adding some ranch powder to the mix.

It's a delicious way to use ranch seasoning, incorporating additional tanginess into your spread while also introducing some richness thanks to the buttermilk powder. Plus, the ranch seasoning incorporates some extra herbs into your hummus: parsley and dried chives. Additionally, onion powder and garlic powder in the seasoning work well against the fresh garlic that often gets added to a delicious hummus recipe, helping ramp up the pungent taste of the herbs.

When you add ranch powder to hummus, you don't need much. Start with just one packet of dry ranch seasoning to two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas you use. You can add another half or whole packet if you find the flavor isn't strong enough, but go slowly to make sure you don't overdo it.

Another thing to think about here is that ranch powder is dry. So, you may find that your dip becomes chunky and not as smooth as you were going for. You can get around this by adding a little water to the food processor as you blend. Similarly, if you don't eat it right away, the hummus can thicken up a bit. If this happens, you can pop it back in the food processor and incorporate a bit more water to get its creamy consistency back.

Speaking of not eating it right away, if you don't want to dip into your hummus immediately, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for up to a week, so you can break it out at a later date.

If you don't have ranch powder, you can also just use the dressing itself. If that's the way you go, you can add between ¼ cup and ⅓ cup per can of chickpeas to your hummus ingredients when processing them. Once again, start with less first. You can always add more dressing if, after tasting, it doesn't have the level of creaminess or tanginess you want.

Another thing to be aware of in this case is that, unlike with ranch powder, the ranch dressing may not dry out your hummus. In fact, it could wind up giving your dip an even smoother and lighter texture.

Whether you go for adding ranch seasoning mix to your hummus or just throw in some of the dressing itself, you're bound to love this mashup of two classic snack dips. It's extra creamy and herby and comes with a boost of tanginess that ramps up the tahini flavor.