Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Hummus with Mediterranean Salsa

I don't know what to call the veggie topping, so I called it a salsa. It makes absolutely no sense to call something with cheese in it a "salsa," so if you can think of a better word, I'd be supremely grateful. Anyway, this is super healthy and a great alternative to slaving over a hot stove on those sticky summer nights. I'll be submitting this easy recipe to Sweetnicks' ARF/5-a-day roundup.

Hummus with Mediterranean Salsa
For the hummus:
2 cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed (1/2 c of canning liquid reserved)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c tahini (sesame paste - find it in the ethnic foods aisle near the kosher goods)
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
salt, pinch of cayenne pepper

For the "salsa":

1/2 seedless cucumber, diced
2 c diced ripe tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 c diced feta cheese
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c lemon juice (or red wine vinegar, which is what I used because I didn't have another lemon)
1/4 c EVOO
salt & pepper

Combine the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt & cayenne in a food processor. Add 1/4 c of the canning liquid from the chickpeas and puree. If the hummus is too thick, add a bit more canning liquid and give it another whirl.

In another bowl, combine the cucumber, tomato, onion, feta and parsley. Whisk together the lemon juice (or vinegar) and olive oil in a small bowl, then pour over the veggies. Season liberally with salt & pepper and mix well.

Serve with toasted pita chips (just broil chopped up pita pockets for a couple minutes on each side), topping the hummus with the veggies and a drizzle of olive oil. This makes for a light meal or a delicious appetizer at parties. Store any leftover hummus in a plastic container in the fridge, spreading it smooth and topping it with a light layer of olive oil.

3 comments:

Jared said...

Didn't realize it was that easy to make your own hummus. I love hummus on pretty much everything and it goes great carrots. Do you think I could make it with a food processor?

Snarkmeister said...

I had to double-check my post after you commented...I made mine in the food processor and I wanted to make sure I'd noted that (I did!). You could use a blender I suppose, but I think the food processor works best.

Claire said...

Oh, my...YUM! This looks so good. The only time I tried to make hummus was at a time when I didn't like it. Well, I LOVE it now. This recipe looks super easy. I'll have to try it soon.