Posted in Recipes on 13.09.2017
Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Hummus
prep: 15 mins / cook: 0 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 15 mins / quantity: 6-8 Generous Portions Print recipe?
I feel like I’ve had my eyes opened since discovering the virtues of the humble chickpea. For so long I completely disregarded them as pointless and bland – and on their own they are. Plus hummus just looks like beige slop in a pot! However, jujj it up with your own herbs, spices and all the other ‘extras’ you can find and I’m now in danger of spreading it on anything that stays still for too long!!
Some of the shop bought ones aren’t actually too bad but I’ve yet to find anything mass produced that tastes quite as good as something you can make at home. And when it’s this easy to make, literally just chuck it all in the processor and 2 minutes later you’ve got fresh, tasty, spread it on thick, protein rich hummus.
There are of course a gajillion variations once you’ve got your hummus base … and I’m currently working my way through them all! I’m looking next into making hummus without chickpeas (what?!) … like beetroot hummus with it’s beautiful vibrant colour or with roasted pumpkin, butternut squash or carrots, lentils and butter beans. What do you like to throw into your hummus? Phil’s a spice freak and he likes his hummus smoothysmoothsmooth. Me, I prefer mine mild and with a little texture.
If you truly want nothing but silky smooth hummus then I’m afraid you’ll have to remove the skins from the chickpeas but jeez … who has that kind of time?!
Smooth or lumpy there are so many ways to enjoy your hummus – generously smothered on to warm crusty bread and sprinkled with alfalfa sprouts, some simple carrot sticks for a super healthy, super quick snack or how about these Chickpea and Dukkah Crackers? They’re gently spiced and perfect for scooping the hummus right into your mouth.
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Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Hummus
prep: 15 mins / cook: 0 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 15 mins / quantity: 6-8 Generous Portions
Ingredients
- 400g (15oz) can chickpeas
- 6 sun dried tomatoes
- 2 tblsp of the oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tblsp tahini
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp maca powder (see note)
- Salt and pepper
- Handful of fresh basil
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid
- Tip the drained chickpeas into a food processor bowl along with the sun dried tomatoes, the oil from the tomatoes jar, the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, maca powder and seasoning
- Pulse for 1 minute then use a rubber spatula to scrape around the bowl and pulse for a further minute
- Add 2 tblsp of the drained chickpea liquid, give the bowl another scrape with the spatula and pulse for a further 1 minute. At this stage add more of the chickpea liquid if the mixture’s too thick
- Finally add the fresh basil leaves and pulse until the basil is just minced through
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week
Notes
- The maca is not essential for flavour in this recipe - it's purely optional if you want to include it for its health benefits
- Goes fantastically well with these Chickpea & Dukkah Crackers, fresh veggie sticks or lavishly spread on this Honey Oat Wholemeal Bread
4 Comments
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Hello there! I’m Sam, former Michelin star pastry chef and now your go-to vegan foodie on a mission to make plant-based eating a deliciously easy adventure! From cozy comfort foods to vibrant salads and decadent desserts, there’s something for everyone in my kitchen.
Whether you’re cooking for one or for a houseful I believe food doesn’t have to be complicated to be full of FLAVOUR and I want to show you how. I’ve been a rigorous meal planner for over a decade whilst embracing seasonal ingredients (because that’s where the real flavour is!)
I’m also a dedicated dog mum to Nooch and Baxter and enjoy cooking them homemade treats (many of which are posted here) when I’m not screaming at the tennis or devouring fantasy fiction.
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I’m curious: why add the maca
Hi Sara, thanks for your question! I added the maca for one simple reason, I’ve been using it regularly for about 7 months now and found it has some amazing benefits. It’s an adaptogen which means it helps you ‘adapt’ by reducing both mental and physical stress. On a personal level it has completely cured my debilitating monthly cramps and I’ve been on a bit of a mission to spread the maca word since! I’ve introduced it to 3 female friends and they’re over the moon to report the same results! My intention is to write some more detailed blog posts about why I include some of the ingredients that I do that aren’t imperative to the success of the recipe but we just wanted to get the blog up and running and add the fine detail later – as you can probably tell, we’re pretty new at this! However if you have any other questions about maca or any of the other ‘strange’ ingredients I use please don’t hesitate to ask! Thank you again, it’s lovely to have contact with real people 🙂
Hi Sam, me again ? what can you use instead of Maca powder and which supermarket sells this or do you need to buy online, thanks x
Hi Pat
Lol, it’s ok – I love that people are interested! Maca for this recipe is not essential for flavour. In fact it can be an acquired taste for some so I try to disguise it if people still want to use it. I use it because it’s been a life saver during my monthly periods – completely stopping the mind numbing cramps and helping to balance that whole emotional rollercoaster! I recommended to a few other female friends who all reported back positively!
I’m not sure if it’s available yet in supermarkets but Holland & Barrett have it or it’s readily available on Amazon. It has a distinctive malty smell flavour and I try and use it most days in porridge, overnight oats, smoothies etc. But don’t buy it just for this recipe if you don’t need it ?
~ Sam