When you need to quickly throw together an appetizer, store-bought hummus is your best friend. There are so many excellent new brands on the market now — some that are nearly as good as what you’d get at a restaurant or make yourself. But the addition of just one ingredient can transform your hummus from good to gourmet.

Here are 10 easy ideas to make your hummus a little more special.

Toasted pine nuts

Any type of nut or seed will add a nice crunch to your hummus, but buttery pine nuts are particularly delicious when paired with the spread. Toast them on a stovetop to bring out their subtle, earthy notes before sprinkling onto your favorite tub.

Ground beef

A protein like ground beef will turn your hummus from an appetizer into a meal. It’s an especially great way to use up leftover meat from taco night. Simply spoon the ground beef over creamy hummus, then add a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and you’ve got yourself a bowl that could easily rival what you’d get at a fast-casual restaurant like Cava.

Chopped pickles

No need to drive to Trader Joe’s to get a tub of Dill Pickle Hummus. You can easily make it yourself — chop up a pickle or two, and mix it into any store-bought hummus to add some tang and crunch. For an additional hit of pickle flavor, stir in some spoonfuls of the pickle brine and season with fresh dill.

Preserved lemon

Make a copycat version of Little Sesame’s preserved lemon hummus. When chopped up small, preserved lemons add umami, a hit of salt, and a pleasant tang. You can preserve your own lemons, or buy them at a Middle Eastern grocery store.

Everything bagel seasoning

We’re firm believers that everything bagel seasoning belongs on, well, everything! Hummus is no exception. The combination of poppy seeds, sesame, dried garlic, dried onion, and sea salt will give your hummus a breakfast flair. Top with a poached egg and fresh cucumber.

Gochujang

Gochujang, a Korean red chile paste, is a super-powered pantry ingredient. Blend or swirl it into your store-bought hummus for extra layers of umami, spice, and sweetness — plus a gorgeous brick-red hue.

High-quality olive oil

The easiest way to make your store-bought hummus restaurant-quality is with premium extra-virgin olive oil. Add a divot to the center of your hummus, and fill it with your olive oil of choice. Go with an olive oil designed for drizzling (rather than cooking), like Olio Piro, or even an infused olive oil for extra flavor. 

Chili crisp

If you’re searching for more unique ways to use that jar of chile crisp that’s been sitting in your fridge, look no further. The condiment gives hummus the same luscious texture as olive oil, but with the added crunch and flavor of toasted chiles, garlic, and peppercorns.

Leftover snacks

Whenever executive features editor Kat Kinsman is nearing the bottom of a bag of a crunchy snack, like Chex Mix or pretzels, she sprinkles the remaining crumbs over a tub of hummus. The same goes for photo editor Doan Nguyen. “I confess that a lot of my dinners consist of tortilla chip crumbs dumped into an almost empty container of hummus,” she says.

Baba ganoush

Perhaps you recently prepared a mezze platter with baba ganoush and hummus. Rather than leaving the leftovers separated, combine them for an epic hybrid hummus, as suggested by special projects editor Lucy Simon. When she was growing up, her mother would often stir the roasted eggplant dip into a tub of hummus.