Vegetarian 7 Layer Dip with Hummus
This vegetarian 7 layer dip uses homemade hummus instead of refried beans, and thick, tangy labneh instead of sour cream, with a blended avocado layer in between. Then it finishes the way the classic does, with tomato and red onion, shredded cheese, lettuce and olives on top, and a big pile of tortilla chips on the side.
I made this for my birthday party and assembled it the night before. It was great the next day, served cold straight from the fridge, and my friends and family had it with chips. It’s a cold party dip with no oven and no stovetop, so it’s an easy thing to get done before a party.
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A Quick Look At The Recipe
- 🥣 The layers: hummus, avocado, labneh, tomato with red onion and arugula, shredded cheese, lettuce and green olives
- ⏱️ Time: 40 minutes of prep, then 1 hour in the fridge
- 🥄 Blending: only the hummus and avocado layers go in the blender
- 🍽️ Dish and servings: a 9×6-inch pan or a medium round bowl, about 12 appetizer servings
- 🧊 Make ahead: assemble it the night before; it keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge
How This Layered Hummus Dip Is Different From the Classic
The classic seven layer dip, the Tex-Mex layered dip recipe most people know, starts with refried beans, then sour cream mixed with taco seasoning, guacamole, salsa, cheese, black olives and green onions, usually in a big 9×13 dish.
Hummus made with tahini, garlic and cumin gives the bottom layer the same thick, scoopable body as refried beans, with a nutty flavor instead of a smoky one. Blending the avocado with olive oil and lemon makes a smooth, even green layer rather than chunky guacamole. Labneh is strained yogurt, so it’s thick enough to spread like frosting and holds its shape better than sour cream, with a fresh, tangy taste. A little chopped arugula in the tomato layer adds a peppery bite.
Ingredient Notes
Chickpeas. Canned chickpeas are the easy choice. You need 1 cup, which is about two-thirds of a 15-ounce can. Drain them well before they go into the blender, so the hummus doesn’t turn runny.
Tahini. This is sesame paste. ½ cup is a lot more than most hummus recipes use for this amount of chickpeas, so the bottom layer comes out rich and nutty enough to stand up to six layers of toppings. Stir the jar well before you measure, because the oil separates on top.
Avocados and lemons. Use 2 ripe avocados that give a little when you press them, and buy 2 lemons. One lemon goes into the hummus, and a couple of tablespoons of juice from the second one go into the avocado to keep the green layer bright.
Labneh. I use store-bought labneh. Look for plain labneh in the refrigerated dairy, deli or dip section of Middle Eastern markets and many larger grocery stores, including Whole Foods. Let it sit out until it reaches room temperature. Cold labneh is stiff, and it can drag the avocado layer up with it when you spread it.
Toppings. Finely dice the tomato and red onion and chop the arugula, so every chip gets a little of each. For the cheese, I mix shredded cheddar with Monterey Jack for that two-color look. Slice green olives into rounds for the very top.
You’ll also need olive oil, garlic, ground cumin, salt, black pepper and shredded lettuce. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Vegetarian 7 Layer Dip
1. Blend the hummus
Put the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until the hummus is completely smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice. On its own, this also works as a simple hummus dip recipe for pita chips and vegetables.
2. Spread the first layer
Scoop the hummus into a 9×6-inch pan or a medium round bowl. Spread it into an even layer that reaches all the edges.
3. Blend the avocado
Rinse the blender. Add the avocado flesh, olive oil and lemon juice, then blend until smooth. Taste it and add a little more lemon if you like it tangier.
4. Add the avocado layer
Spoon the avocado over the hummus. Spread it gently from the middle out to the sides, so the two layers don’t mix.
5. Spread the labneh
Drop spoonfuls of the room-temperature labneh over the avocado. Then smooth them together into one even, white layer.
6. Add the tomato, red onion and arugula
Toss the diced tomato, red onion and chopped arugula with a pinch of salt and pepper. Scatter the mix evenly over the labneh.
7. Sprinkle on the cheese
Cover the tomato layer with the shredded cheese.
8. Add the lettuce
Pile the shredded lettuce over the cheese in a loose, even layer.
9. Finish with the olives and chill
Scatter the green olive rounds over the top. Chill the dip for 1 hour before serving.
Tips for Neat, Even Layers
- Use a glass dish. Everyone can see all seven layers from the side.
- Keep the sides clean. After each soft layer, wipe the inside of the glass with a paper towel, so the stripes stay sharp from the side.
- Pat the toppings dry. Shake off the tomato juice and dry the lettuce well. Extra water pools on the labneh and makes the top soggy.
- No 9×6-inch dish? The recipe makes about 6 cups of dip, so an 8×8-inch pan should hold it, with slightly thinner layers. For a 9×13-inch dish, you’d probably want to double everything.
Easy Swaps
- No labneh? Thick plain Greek yogurt is the closest swap. It’s a little thinner and more sour.
- Cheese: a bagged Mexican cheese blend works in place of the cheddar and Monterey Jack. All cheddar gives a sharper flavor.
- Olives: black olives are the classic Tex-Mex pick if you’d rather use them than green.
- A little heat: add a few sliced jalapeños on top with the olives.
- Not an arugula fan? Chopped parsley or cilantro also works in the tomato layer.
What to Serve With 7 Layer Dip
Sturdy tortilla chips work best, because thin ones snap in the thick layers. Pita chips and cucumber or carrot sticks are good for scooping too.
For a bigger spread, put it out next to a build-your-own taco charcuterie board or a bowl of white bean dip with seasoned pita chips.
Storing and Making It Ahead
- Fridge: cover the dish or move it to an airtight container. It keeps for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: this dip doesn’t freeze well, so don’t freeze it.
- Make ahead: you can assemble the whole dip the night before (see the FAQ below). Mix the diced red onion with ½ teaspoon of vinegar first. That softens its strong smell and keeps it fresh longer.
- Serving: serve it straight from the fridge, and don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours (the USDA rule for perishable food).
FAQs
Can I make 7 layer dip the night before?
Yes. That’s how I made it for my kids’ birthday party: assembled in the evening, covered in the fridge overnight, and served cold the next day. If you want the lettuce extra crisp, you can add the lettuce and olives right before serving, but you don’t have to.
How do I keep the avocado layer from browning?
The lemon juice blended into the avocado slows browning, and the labneh layer seals it off from the air. Spread the labneh soon after the avocado so the green layer isn’t left uncovered, and keep the dish covered in the fridge.
Can I use store-bought hummus?
Yes. Pick a thick, plain hummus so the layer holds its shape. If your hummus, homemade or store-bought, is too stiff to spread, stir in a spoonful of water.
Is this 7 layer dip vegetarian?
Yes, as long as your cheese is made without animal rennet. Check the label on your shredded cheese if that matters to you. If you’re looking for a healthy 7 layer dip, this one has more vegetables than the classic, but with tahini, avocado, labneh and cheese it’s still a rich party dip.
Is it gluten-free?
The dip ingredients are naturally gluten-free. Check the labels on your chips or any store-bought hummus.
More Easy Dips to Try
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Made this vegetarian 7 layer dip? Leave a star rating below and tell me in the comments which layer you changed.
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Vegetarian 7 Layer Dip with Hummus
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- 9×6-inch pan or medium round bowl (glass shows the layers)
- Small spatula
Ingredients
Hummus layer
- 1 cup chickpeas drained (about 165 g)
- ½ cup tahini (about 120 g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (13 g)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 lemon juiced (about 3 tbsp / 45 ml)
- ¼ cup water (60 ml)
- salt and black pepper to taste
Avocado layer
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 tbsp olive oil (13 g)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 ml) from about ½ lemon, plus more to taste
Labneh layer
- 1 ½ cups labneh room temperature (about 360 g)
Tomato and onion layer
- 1 tomato finely diced
- 1 red onion finely diced
- ½ cup arugula chopped (about 1 cup loose leaves, 20 g)
- salt and black pepper to taste
Cheese layer
- 1 cup shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack mixed half and half (about 113 g / 4 oz total), or a Mexican cheese blend
Lettuce layer
- 1 cup shredded lettuce (about 50 g)
Olive layer
- ½ cup green olives pitted, sliced into rounds (about 70 g)
For serving (optional)
- tortilla chips for dipping
Instructions
- Make the hummus: Blend the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper until completely smooth.
- Layer 1: Spread the hummus evenly over the bottom of a 9×6-inch pan or a medium round bowl.
- Make the avocado layer: Rinse the blender. Blend the avocados, olive oil and lemon juice until smooth. Taste and add more lemon if you like.
- Layer 2: Spread the avocado gently over the hummus, working from the center out.
- Layer 3: Spread the room-temperature labneh evenly over the avocado.
- Layer 4: Toss the tomato, red onion and arugula with salt and pepper, then scatter the mix over the labneh.
- Layer 5: Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack over the tomato layer.
- Layer 6: Add the shredded lettuce in an even layer.
- Layer 7 and chill: Top with the green olive rounds. Chill for 1 hour, then serve cold with tortilla chips.
Notes
- 🥄 Labneh: Let it come to room temperature first, so it spreads without pulling up the avocado.
- 🧅 Making it ahead: You can assemble it the night before. Mix the diced red onion with ½ tsp vinegar first. That tames the strong onion smell and keeps it fresh longer. For the crispest lettuce, add the lettuce and olives just before serving.
- 🧊 Storage: Keep it covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Don’t freeze it.
- ❄️ Serve it cold: It tastes best straight from the fridge. Don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
- 🥑 Ripe avocados: They should give a little when pressed, so the layer blends smooth.
- 🍋 Lemons: You’ll need 2. Use the juice of one in the hummus and about 2 tbsp from the second in the avocado. Add more to the avocado if you like it tangier.
- 🌿 Arugula: Swap in chopped parsley or cilantro if you prefer a milder taste.
- 📊 Nutrition: an estimate per serving (about ½ cup), without the chips.