Elevate your Super Bowl spread without having to let the belt out a notch. Make this dip hours ahead to pull from the frig at half time so there’s no slaving in the kitchen and missing out on the game. Scoop the dip up with your favorite flat bread, pita, or cut up veggies, so no utensils are required.
This 7 Layer Mediterranean Dip is a parfait of garlicky hummus, and lemony and creamy Greek yogurt. It’s topped with sweet sundried tomato slivers, cool and crunchy English cucumber, briny Kalamata olives plus tangy good quality feta, and served with toasted flat bread for dipping.
Why wait for the Super Bowl? You can make this any time of the year. Serve as an appetizer for parties in your home, or assemble in a glass bowl with a lid to bring to gatherings with friends. It’s always a hit, and a nice change up from the Mexican layer dip that everyone has been making for years. It is healthier too!
When I go to Mediterranean restaurants like Greek or Turkish, a platter of spreads and hot fresh baked bread is always my go to for an entrée. This Mediterranean 7 Layer Dip can be served as a light and healthy family style dinner meal at home with some kebabs and a simple green salad or sauteed spinach. It’s vegetarian, and a wonderful way to get kids to eat more plant based foods too.
Feel free to use your favorite store-bought hummus to get this ready in minutes, or try my quick pantry ingredient recipe below with canned chickpeas.
Most of these ingredients are pantry ingredients, meaning they actually live in your pantry, and you probably have on hand, or they are long lasting in the refrigerator. Check your pantry and frig inventory before shopping, then add on as needed to make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to go for game day!
Ingredients to have on hand for this Mediterranean 7 Layer Dip
Hummus
This can be any flavor or variety you like on the market, so long as it is savory flavors. Sweet varieties of hummus like salted caramel and brownie batter flavors will not work for this recipe!
To cut down on fat and calories, there are oil free versions of hummus to choose from. They will be labeled “fat free,” or “oil free” on the front of the packaging. Or if you make my hummus recipe below, you can omit the oil, and blend in extra chickpea liquid, aka aquafaba, to make the hummus smooth and creamy.
Greek Yogurt
You can use your favorite variety of Greek yogurt, either full fat or non-fat, but sugar free is a must. Try jazzing it up with a little lemon and garlic, or try this Best Tzatziki Sauce
A store-bought tzatziki will also work for this recipe. Whatever you choose, before spreading your Greek yogurt into a layer on your platter, whip it up with a fork or small whisk to thin it out a bit so it will be smooth and spreadable.
Diced Cucumber
I like to use English Cucumbers because they have a nice thin skin and small or no seeds. They are more tender than the thick skinned, heavily seeded garden cucumbers we find in the grocery store.
Sundried Tomatoes in Oil
I like to use sundried tomatoes in oil that are already cut into strips to save time and minimize oily messes, but you can steam dried sundried tomatoes, and cut in slivers, or get whole sundried tomatoes in oil and cut into slivers yourself. If the sundried tomatoes are pre-cut the label will say “sliced,” or “julienned.”
Kalamata Olives
Buy pitted and sliced to save time, or pit and slice yourself
Green Onions
You can swap diced red onion for green onions, or omit if onion family veggies are not on your hit list
Feta Cheese
Make sure you are buying good feta in a block made from sheep or goat milk, not the cow pre-crumbled variety. The sheep or goat feta will be sharper and tangier than cow, and will give this Mediterranean 7 Layer Dip a pop!
Optional – Fresh herbs like oregano, parsley leaves, basil leaves, and salt and freshly ground pepper, drizzle of olive oil
Use a glass round pie plate for presentation purposes, or a deep oval platter would work nicely also!
Mediterranean 7 Layer Dip for Game Day
Serves 6-8
Can be made one day ahead
If time allows, wait 30 minutes before serving for flavors to combine
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups hummus
1-1/2 cups Greek yogurt or tzatziki
½ cup diced English, baby, or Persian cucumber, skin intact
½ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained, and slivered
½ cup diced or sliced pitted kalamata olives
¼ cup thinly sliced green onion, or diced red onion
3oz good sheep or goat feta
1 package of your favorite whole grain flat bread, naan, or pita
Optional: fresh herbs for garnish, salt and pepper, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
With the back of a spoon or a spatula, spread hummus evenly in bottom of serving plate
Whisk Greek yogurt or tzatziki with a fork to thin before spreading over hummus. If using plain Greek yogurt, squeeze in juice of 1/2 lemon, and add a pinch of sea salt while whisking
Evenly layer cucumber, then sundried tomatoes, then olives, followed by green or red onion
Crumble feta and sprinkle over top
If desired, garnish with any combination of fresh herbs like oregano, parsley leaves, and basil, and add a dash of salt and fresh ground pepper, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired
Serve with wedges of hot toasted flat bread, naan, or pita, or a gluten free chip to make this appetizer gluten free
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days
Easy Healthy Homemade Hummus
Makes 1-1/2 cups
Once you have your ingredients on the counter, this comes together in five minutes flat, has a little kick, and is so very much better than store bought. It will keep in the frig for three days. But I bet there won’t be leftovers! If you use wheat free tamari, this recipe is gluten free
- 1 (15.5oz) can chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 medium cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp wheat free tamari (you can substitute soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp mild hot sauce, or your favorite hot sauce in adjusted amount to your liking
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil*
- Optional Garnish(es): Pinch of paprika, parsley leaves, thinly sliced green onion, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- In a food processor or blender, add chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tamari or soy sauce, and hot sauce, and process until ingredients are incorporated
- Drizzle in tahini or olive oil with motor running until smooth
- If you would like the hummus a little thinner, drizzle in some reserved chickpea liquid until desired consistency is achieved
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
- Transfer to bowl, garnish with paprika, green onion, then drizzle with olive oil
- Serve or cover and refrigerate to allow flavors combine
- *You can substitute tahini in place of extra virgin olive oil
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