Hummus Veggie Dip

Last week, for our 4th of July barbecue, I decided to make a hummus dip as an appetizer.

You know how it is, you start the grill, things take time to heat up, food takes time to cook, so you gotta have some appetizers that people can munch on while chatting and drinking and so on.

I wanted something different, and since we are all fans of hummus, I thought it would be a good dip to serve, hoping that everyone would enjoy it.  That they did.

I got some requests for the recipe and my husband's cousin even said it was the best thing she had ever had.  Awesome!!!

There's nothing really to this recipe, if you can even call it that.  Basically you can use whatever veggies you have on hand or whatever your family prefers.  If you don't like tomatoes, leave them out, if you love spinach, throw that in.  You get the picture right?

So let me tell you how to make a super easy and delicious dip for your next get together.

Hummus Veggie Dip

1/4 cup serving:  88 calories

1 large package of plain hummus (you can make your own as well)
Olive oil
Chopped Garlic
Sliced olives
Zucchini
Cilantro and Parsley
Parmesan cheese

Optional: You can add tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, chopped onion, spinach, whatever you wish


In a casserole dish, spread the hummus dip evenly on the bottom. Drizzle on some olive oil on top and then start adding your veggies. I actually used a roasted red pepper hummus for this dip which was delicious.

I added chopped garlic, sliced olives, chopped zucchini, cilantro and parsley and then topped it with a little parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes or until veggies are cooked. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies or crackers.

Homemade Hummus

One of my guilty pleasures.

If I ever go to your house, do NOT, I repeat, do NOT offer me any hummus because not only will I become a recluse in a corner with the bowl, but I’ll finish it all up too.

I don’t mind buying at the store but I try my best to make whatever I like at home, I think it’s so much healthier for you and you don’t have all those preservatives and chemicals either.

This recipe comes from one of my blog readers, she has a really good yummy blog with amazing recipes, especially if you like healthy food and green living.  Check out Whole.New.Mom. 

One of the reasons I fell in love with this recipe is because my kids do NOT like tahini at all, so this one was perfect for us.

Quick note:  I used 3 cans of garbanzo beans.  All the notes in the recipe are from the author, not mine but I’m giving you the recipe AS is

Homemade Hummus (without Tahini)

3 1/2 cups of soaked, cooked, and drained garbanzo beans (preferably organic and cooked with ajwain to aid w/ digestibility added to pot: 3/4 tsp per 2 cups dried beans)
2 cloves garlic
10 Tbsp water
4 Tbsp olive oil (may substitute tahini if you prefer)
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (aleppo is wonderful, but hard to find)
1 1/2 tsp salt


Method:
Put all ingredients in a heavy duty blender (aka Vitamix) and/ or food processor and combine until of desired consistency.

 

A typical food processor will need approximately 4 minutes to get it really smooth. My Viking Processor takes about 1-2 minutes. Oh, do I love my food processor.

 

Serve with chips, vegetables, Focaccia Flax Bread, or even Seasoned Popcorn. Use your imagination!

Options:
- you may substitute tahini for the olive oil. My eldest has a life-threatening allergy to sesame seeds, so we do not.
- fresh ground spices are really worth it. Again, do what you are able to do.
I like to serve mine with Pita bread. Just throw it on the grill for a few minutes, it’s SO good.

 

Cut Pita bread in half, slather on some hummus and go to town. YUM!

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