I rarely make plain, classic, delicious hummus. I am easily excited and wind up putting extra veggies, herbs and spices into it, making it more interesting and more powerful in the health department (case in point).
So much so that now, when I am at a party or somewhere where there is classic hummus served, I get mildly obsessive about the delicious simplicity of it. I then promise myself that I will only make it that way from now on.
But hummus is just such a great vegetable opportunity! It’s so hard for me to make it plain. So I have met (myself) in the middle, jumping on this new and brilliant hummus trend: hummus topped with….stuff. Things-topped hummus. Hummus…on the bottom. I will revisit this, what is important is that you get the classic, (hopefully) homemade hummus, topped with fresh, flavourful, pigment-filled, treats. One bite is plain hummus, the next bite is plain hum-oooo wait, I got some roast pepper and basil too! You feel me? Options and variables in every bite.
Oh yeah, and it can look sooo pretty:
You can literally put anything on there. If it provides colour, textural contrast and tastes good on its own, the odds are good that the hummus will love it too. Think about the treats you would put into a salad or even on pizza (vegan goat cheese, oven-dried tomatoes, dandelion green pesto, fermented veggies, garlicky rapini, a big handful of fresh broccoli or mustard sprouts) or any of the three recipes below.
It is easy to get carried away with the toppings and overwhelm the hummus when plating it. Just make sure you don’t forget that the hummus is the star of the show, and the rest is just the fluff. This is not only a great way to get a few more veggies into your diet, it is also an opportunity to get your hummus out of its Crocs and into something fancy.
If you serve hummus this way for guests, it will look like you went out of your way to make an exceptionally time consuming and complicated dip. (Don’t worry you didn’t, it was really easy). If it’s just for you, even better, it is so much more fun to eat leftover hummus when there are little treats to dig for with your purple cauliflower.
- 2 c Chick Peas, cooked
- ¼ c Tahini
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- ¼ c water
- 1 Lemon, juice & zest
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- Several grinds of Black Pepper (to optimize turmeric absorption)
- Sea(weed) Salt to taste
- 2 c Mixed mushrooms (I used shitakes, oysters and enokis)
- ½ c Leek, sliced
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Rosemary sprig
- 2 tsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
- 2 Bell Peppers
- 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Extra Virgin Coconut oil
- Small handful of Olives (I used Moroccan sun-dried olives)
- Small handful of fresh Basil
- ¼ c Parsley, chopped
- Zest of 1-2 Lemons
- 2 tsp Za'atar
- 2 tsp Black Sesame Seeds
- 3 Tbsp Chick Peas, cooked
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Adjust seasoning.
- Spread out in a pasta bowl or on a plate so that it has lots of surface area.
- On medium heat in a frying pan, sauté the mushrooms and rosemary in the coconut oil until soft.
- Add the leeks and garlic and continue to sauté until the leeks are soft and transparent.
- Season with sea(weed) salt and spoon onto the top of a bowl of hummus.
- Preheat the oven to 325*F
- Put whole peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until they are cooked through.
- While still hot, put peppers in a bowl and put a bowl on top. Let them sweat for 15 minutes or so, this makes them easier to peel (and cooler).
- Peel and remove the seed and stem when they are cool enough to handle.
- Slice up the peeled, roasted peppers.
- On medium heat in a frying pan, sauté the shallots and garlic in the coconut oil until they soften.
- Add the peppers and continue to sauté until they have warmed through and the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the olives and adjust seasoning.
- Spoon mixture onto the the hummus.
- Tear up the basil and scatter on top.
- Sprinkle the za'atar, sesame seeds, chick peas and lemon zest on top.
- Drizzle on the olive oil and top with parsley.
Hi Leanna, you’re so welcome! Thanks for visiting.
thanks for lovely recipes