Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
Whether you have already broken your New Year’s resolutions or vowed to make 2024 the year to be disciplined in your eating, we have a dish for you that is sure to please without sacrificing your conscience or your tastebuds. Hummus provides a source of plant-based protein, while also having benefits such as fiber, manganese, copper, iron, and zinc. But loaded hummus takes things to a whole different level, both visually and tastewise.
Like all of my favorite recipes, you can make this completely homemade or take a few shortcuts. This recipe can also be made in advance for those of us who only have small windows of time to get things done. Loaded hummus comes together quickly for a fun, healthy snack at home, but looks good enough to make it party-worthy. For the shortest version, take a pretty platter or cutting board, and spoon on your favorite brand of store-bought hummus, making dips and curves with the back of a spoon. These little craters will hold tiny pools of extra virgin olive oil when it’s served. Add your favorite toppings, and your snack is served. But if you have a few extra minutes, try making the hummus yourself only one time, and you won’t want to go back to the store brand again.
For the homemade version, take two cans of chickpeas and rinse them well. Place in a medium-sized saucepan and cover with a small amount of water. Bring water to a boil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. During this time, you can assemble your other ingredients and the time will fly by. Once your chickpeas have finished simmering, spoon off a half a cup of the cooking water and save. Drain and rinse chickpeas with a fine strainer. At this point, some of the outer shells of the chickpeas will have come off. Try to pick some of these out, but you don’t need to be particular about this. Once your cooked chickpeas are drained, add them to a blender or food processor, along with two peeled cloves of garlic, ¼ cup olive oil, about two tablespoons of the reserved cooking water (more if your hummus comes out too thick), six tablespoons lemon juice, six tablespoons tahini (sesame paste), one-half to one teaspoon kosher salt (depending on your taste), and a ½ teaspoon of cumin. Whiz everything together and allow the food processor or blender to process for five minutes. You should have smooth, warm hummus that you will want to eat straight from the blender, but be patient, the best is yet to come.
Now for the topping; it’s all a matter of taste. Feel free to experiment with ingredients. My suggestions are: chopped grape or cherry tomatoes, pitted kalamata olives, chopped pepperoncinis, cucumbers (I used lovely little Persian cucumbers that I did not peel), chopped and diced red peppers, red onion, mint, and parsley. This recipe is very forgiving. Feel free to add extra ingredients or leave some of these out. Toss all of your topping ingredients with a little olive oil, sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Keep your topping separate until just before serving. Once you are ready, add your topping to the hummus, and drizzle a little more olive oil over everything. Sprinkle it with a dash of cumin and paprika. The last time I made this, I was trying to keep it dairy-free and gluten-free for a guest, so I served it with red pepper slices, and left out feta cheese. But a side dish of feta and a bowl of pita chips would be a welcome addition for others.
We would love to hear from our readers. If you try this healthy snack, drop us a note with your comments or suggestions. You can write to shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
