5:30 Challenge: Make this hummus to turn snacktime into a meal
This is the point in the summer where I’m just about fed up with actually cooking. Between the endless heat and the abundance of great produce, I often find little reason to do much more than pile a platter with crunchy vegetables, tomato wedges, cheese and bread, and call it a meal. A snacky meal, if you will.
If I want to expend additional effort, I’ll whip up a batch of quick homemade hummus in a food processor, adding more protein and substance to dinner. Pouring in what may look like excessive amounts of tahini and good extra-virgin olive oil makes for an extra flavorful dip; adding cold water and running the processor for a few more minutes will turn the hummus silky smooth.
I like to dress up my hummus slightly more than the standard chickpea-tahini-garlic combination by crisping a portion of the chickpeas in olive oil, garlic and tangy sumac. These, and the oil in which they’re sauteed, are poured into the center of the hummus before serving to make a dip within a dip.
To scoop up the hummus, grab whatever vegetables you’ve got in the fridge — anything that is good eaten raw will work — plus some type of bread or cracker. Snack away.
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon sumac, plus more for serving (see note)
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons cold water, plus more as needed
- 1 large lemon, juiced, seeds removed
- Optional: Chopped fresh parsley or mint, for serving
- On the side: Pita bread and crudités
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add 1/2 cup of the chickpeas, half of the minced garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas begin to brown and the garlic turns fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sumac.
- Combine the remaining chickpeas, remaining garlic, tahini, and water in a food processor. Add the lemon juice. Process until the mixture is relatively smooth, about 1 minute. With the processor running, pour the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil through the feed tube until incorporated. Turn off the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to process until very smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. If the hummus is still quite thick, pulse in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the hummus has reached your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.
- Transfer the hummus to a shallow bowl. Use a spoon to form a crater in the center of the hummus and pour the chickpeas and any oil remaining from the skillet into the crater. Top with the parsley, if using, and sprinkle with additional sumac. Serve with the pita wedges and crudités for dipping. Note: If you can’t find sumac, use the juice of another half a lemon on the chickpeas. Serves 4 to 6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 4: 260 calories (percent of calories from fat, 61), 20 grams protein, 57 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams fiber, 53 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 1,038 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
