Forget Ketchup. Level Up Fries With This Creamy Dip Instead

French fries on their own can be good. They can even be great, especially when made with Jet Tila's tips for the perfect french fries. But for many of us, much of the time, it is a vehicle to transport our preferred dips into our mouths. Ketchup is a classic for a reason, its sweet tang an obvious counterpart to the fries' salty crunch. However, if you want to make your snack a much more substantial one, one of the most deliciously filling ways is to serve french fries with hummus.

Hummus is a hearty dip made with chickpeas, tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt. It is commonly seen gracing dining tables in countries bordering the eastern part of the Mediterranean, all the way into the Arabian peninsula. Each household makes it a little differently (let alone each country!), and outside the home, you can find hummus at many Greek, Mediterranean, and Arabic restaurants or kebab shops. These informal eateries are likely where the idea of dipping fries into hummus came to be, as both items are often on the same menu and part of similar family-sized platter combos. In many kebab shops, you even have the option of adding fries and hummus to your wraps, making it an easy handheld snack. French fries really are one of the most flexible snacks enjoyed around the world in unique, regional ways.

Instances of cultural fusion aside, hummus makes an excellent dip for french fries as it adds a substantial amount of protein and fiber to an otherwise carbohydrate-heavy snack. According to Health, hummus packs an average of 5.5 grams of fiber and almost 8 grams of protein for each 100-gram serving. It is a fantastic vegan option to make simple loaded fries with or to include on a mezze platter for a party. 

Best of all, once you have the general concept of making hummus in your back pocket, you can hummus-fy many other vegetables, whether on their own or in combination with the classic chickpea. Cannellini beans, peas, pumpkin, beetroot, carrots, roasted peppers — any hearty vegetable is ready to be hummus-ed. You can also vary the french fries involved using different french fry cuts, and then try out different combinations with different hummus varieties. Shoestring fries with pea hummus? Steak fries with roasted pepper hummus? The variations are endless.