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–+ servings

Vegetarian 7 Layer Dip with Hummus

7 layer dip in a glass dish with tortilla chips
A cold, no-bake 7 layer dip with homemade hummus, blended avocado and labneh in place of refried beans and sour cream, topped with tomato, red onion and arugula, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack, lettuce and green olives.
Marina Sestan
Prep Time 40 minutes
Chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Serving Size 12 servings (about ½ cup each)

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.
    Smooth blended hummus in a food processor
  • Layer 1: Spread the hummus evenly over the bottom of a 9×6-inch pan or a medium round bowl.
    Hummus spread as the first layer of a vegetarian 7 layer dip in a glass dish
  • 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.
    Smooth blended avocado in a food processor bowl
  • Layer 2: Spread the avocado gently over the hummus, working from the center out.
    A smooth green avocado layer over hummus in a glass dish
  • Layer 3: Spread the room-temperature labneh evenly over the avocado.
    A smooth white labneh layer spread over avocado in a glass dish
  • Layer 4: Toss the tomato, red onion and arugula with salt and pepper, then scatter the mix over the labneh.
    Diced tomato, red onion and chopped arugula scattered over labneh in a glass dish
  • Layer 5: Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack over the tomato layer.
    Sprinkling shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack over the tomato layer
  • Layer 6: Add the shredded lettuce in an even layer.
    Shredded lettuce layer on top of the dip in a glass dish
  • Layer 7 and chill: Top with the green olive rounds. Chill for 1 hour, then serve cold with tortilla chips.
    Finished 7 layer dip topped with sliced green olives in a glass dish

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.
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