Roasted Garlic & Jalapeño Hummus

Right up there with my love of pickles lies a strong love for all kinds of dips and sauces and this recipe is no exception. Hummus is one of those amazing dips that can be healthy and filling at the same time…and I’m not counting the half a bag of pita chips that get wolfed down while I eat this stuff! You’ve had it with your favorite greek food and probably picked up a few containers of it from the grocery store, but this easy, scratch made hummus is really next level. 

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Hummus is typically made by blending together chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and tahini (a ground sesame paste). These simple ingredients make a delicious hummus, but the dip takes on other flavor components really well, so it’s perfect for customizing or adding some unique flavors. To this batch, we’re adding some roasted garlic and jalapeños. The roasting process really mellows out the flavor of the garlic and peppers, so when blended together with the other ingredients, you end up with a really flavorful hummus. 

You'll want to start by roasting the jalapeños and garlic. You can check out this post for instructions on roasting a whole head of garlic, or you can peel about 6-8 cloves and loosely wrap them in foil with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  The peppers don't need to be closed in the foil, but they should get a brushing of olive oil, salt & pepper. Broil both on high for around 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Uncover the garlic a little more to get a roasted golden brown texture on the garlic. The jalapeños will look a little funky out of the oven, but once they cool enough, you can peel away the outer scorched skin and pull away the stem. The rest of the pepper (seeds and all) will go into the food processor along with the garlic and other ingredients. 

While the peppers and garlic are roasting, you can get started peeling these peas. You can find chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) nestled in the canned bean isle at the grocery store. *I like to look for low or reduced sodium options so that you can have more control over the saltiness.* Open up your can-o-beans, rinse and peel them. 

Peeling the beans may sound like a tedious task, but it only takes a few minutes that, in my opinion, are totally worth it for a creamy smooth hummus.  You can pop the skins off pretty easily by pinching the skinny side of the chickpea with your thumb, index and middle finger. Give it a little squeeze and your bean should pop right out. Once you get a rhythm going, it takes no time!

Another main ingredient in this hummus is tahini. The creamy spread is made from ground toasted sesame seeds. Tahini has a smooth texture and a subtle nutty taste. You can usually find it by the jar at most grocery stores stashed away near the pickles, peppers or salad dressings. Be sure to shake the jar really well before opening. So far, I've only used tahini in hummus, but with a pretty full jar in the fridge, it's gonna get put all up in some random stuff! 

In a food processor, add the chickpeas, 3 tablespoons of tahini, 1/4 teaspoon of salt (more or less to taste), a few cracks of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice from a small/medium sized lemon, and the roasted garlic and peppers. The peppers lose a lot of their heat during the roasting process, so your dip won’t really have a strong spice. If you love spicy hummus, adding some crushed red pepper should do the trick. Blend everything together until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. 

Scoop the hummus into a bowl and top with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika and parsley. I love to eat hummus with pita chips, but if you're looking for a really healthy snack, try eating this with some veggie sticks or grilled chicken. Shoot, it's so good, you could eat it with a spoon! 

Thanks for Chewsing!