It’s hard for me to throw out the final scrapings of the dips I love. I want to avoid waste, but I have a hard time letting go of luscious, umami-packed dips and spreads. Rather than let even half a spoonful of flavor go to waste, I use the near-empty tub to make a flavorful salad dressing out of my beloved dip tub scrapings.
It turns out that good-tasting dips make good-tasting dressings. The dip’s original flavor comes through in the finished dressing, even if it’s just a ghost of a reminder. I most recently tried it with tzatziki, but it will certainly work with any sour cream, yogurt, or cream cheese-based dip or spread you have in the fridge. This quick method also works wonderfully with hummus for a dressing that has a touch of texture, and I’d venture a guess that you could do this with a cheese dip as well. I don’t know how much I’d like cheese dressing, but I want you to live boldly, so try it.
To make a quick dip dressing, start with your nearly empty tub of dip. Hopefully you didn’t recycle the lid already; it’ll be useful in just a second. Add relatively neutral, or complementary liquid ingredients and seasonings straight into the container. I used Cedar’s tzatziki—it’s thick and delicious, yogurt-based and tangy. To play up its zippy profile, I added a substantial squeeze of lemon juice, a long drizzle of olive oil, half a teaspoon of honey, and a hefty pinch of salt. I was comfortable winging it, but if you need salad dressing ratio help, read this important guide to help you get a grip on ratios. (Hint: You never need as much oil as you think.)
Once you have all of the ingredients in the tub, snap the lip back on and give it a good shake. The liquid ingredients will loosen up the remaining dip while mixing everything else into solution. Open the lid and you’ll have a flavorful salad dressing ready to go. If you notice big hunks of dip surfing around, break them up with a fork or small whisk, and shake again. Use it immediately, or if you’re packing lunch for work, leave it in the container and pack the salad separately to assemble on location.
Not only is this a great way to save the scrapings, but it “cleans” the container for recycling, and doesn’t dirty any new dishes. Not to mention, it can save you a trip to the store if you find yourself unexpectedly out of salad dressing. Try it with your next finished jar of French onion dip, spinach artichoke, or guacamole.
