Packed with flavor this roasted garlic hummus is a great appetizer and healthy snack. Easy to make and topped with toasted pine nuts this will be a hit at any gathering.Â
This Middle Eastern dish is a classic appetizer and incredibly easy to make. It is one of my favorite healthy snacks during the week and you can change up the flavors almost infinitely. My favorite way to serve it is with sliced peppers, cucumbers, and pita. It also makes a fantastic spread for sandwiches and wraps. Once you make your own and see how easy it is you will have a hard time going back to store bought hummus.Â
In this recipe
There aren’t a lot of ingredients to make hummus. There are only a few key ingredients and the rest is for flavor.Â
Chickpeas: are the basis of the hummus. When pureed they give the hummus its consistency.Â
Tahini: is made from grinding sesame seeds. This will have a texture of natural peanut butter and will also separate just like it as well.Â
Lemon juice: this will give the hummus a nice sharpness that will counterbalance the tahini.Â
Garlic: this roasted ingredient is what will give the hummus its great garlic flavor.
Save the water from the can
When you are draining the water from the can of chickpeas you want to keep this in reserve for when you make the hummus. This liquid will have more chickpea flavor. Many recipes will use water or ice in the hummus to help achieve the desired consistency. However I have found that when you use ice or water the flavor starts to thin a bit. However using the reserved liquid from the can you will still keep the flavors without diluting them.Â
Roasted garlic for the win
It is important to make sure that you slice off the top quarter to third of the head of garlic. It will make getting the garlic out infinitely easier when you are ready to use it. All you will need to do is squeeze the base of the garlic and all of the cloves will come out. However if you do roast it with the top intact then you will need to peel them out to prevent getting the paper like layers into the hummus. You can also use garlic confit for this recipe if you would like as it works just as well.Â
Blending garlic hummus
The easiest way I have found to blend the hummus well is to start with all of the ingredients in the food processor with the exception of the water. Once the chickpeas have started turning into mush I will add a tablespoon of the reserved liquid at a time to the mixture until I get the desired consistency. Let it get incorporated before adding the next tablespoon in order to prevent the hummus getting too thin.Â
Looking for other appetizer recipes?
Roasted Garlic Hummus with Zaatar
Equipment
- Aluminum foil
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 15 ounce chickpeas 1 can, drained and liquid retained
- 2 heads garlic large
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts toasted
- ½ tablespoon zaatar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, 220°C or gas mark 7.
- Slice the top quarter of the garlic clove off and remove the excess outer layers. Place face down on foil and fold over to seal. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- Once the garlic is cool enough to handle squeeze into a food processor along with the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon zaatar, tahini and salt. Turn on the processor and blend until smooth. Add the reserved water from the chickpeas as needed.
- Place into a serving dish, drizzle the oil on top and top with ½ teaspoon zaatar, chopped parsley, and pine nuts.
Notes
Nutrition
