Hummus is one of the all-time great hangry helpers. Whip up, keep it in the fridge, grab some cut up veggies, and you have the ultimate “gotta eat something right now” healthy snack. Traditional hummus, made with chickpeas, doesn’t fit my no-carb plans, so I came up with a new take on hummus using artichokes and hearts of palm instead of chickpeas.
And while this recipe puts a Mediterranean spin on hummus, one of the great aspect of hummus is that once you have the base you can flavor it up anyway that tempts your taste buds.
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can of hearts of palm pieces, drained and chopped
- 1–2 smashed garlic cloves (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons tahini (some stores sell flavored tahini which is also a great way to add in rapid pizazz)
- 1 lemon, juiced (if you are not a big lemon person use juice of 1/2 lemon or omit.)
- 1–2 tablespoons (to taste) each: fresh chopped or dried oregano, fresh chopped or dried parsley, fresh chopped or dried cilantro, and fresh chopped or dried rosemary (you can also use an Italian seasoning mix.)
- 2 tablespoons rich tasting olive oil (don’t use a light oil – you want that great olive oil flavor or you can use a nut oil or infused oil, but you actually want that rich flavor to come through)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Note: Sesame oil is a big flavor, if you are not fond of sesame oil use 1/2- 1/4 teaspoon or omit.)
- 1/2 teaspoon each of freshly ground black pepper and freshly ground pink Himalayan salt or other healthy salt
- Dash of cayenne powder, to taste (Go light this is powerful stuff! You can always add but you can’t take away.)
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, to taste
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika powder, to taste
- For topping: One to two tablespoons of pine nuts, crushed (Note: if you are on a nut free diet you can use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds or omit.)
Preparation
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor.
- Pulse on the chop setting to start incorporating the ingredients and breaking things down. Change to chop setting for about 15-30 seconds. Stop and scrape down sides. Taste to assess whether you are happy or if it needs “anything” such as additional oil, salt, spices. If you’re happy with the flavor, you are done. Or add more spices or oil as needed and pulse. Be careful not to over process. You want to keep this thick and not let it start getting watery.
- Place hummus into a bowl, top with crushed pine nuts, and serve with cut up veggies, veggie chips, cut up toasted pita wedges, or serve in endive topped with sliced olives. The possibilities are endless! To store place in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
This recipe offers a Mediterranean take on hummus but you can omit the oregano, rosemary and lemon to have a base that can be flavored up with a countless array of add-in toppings or taste enhancers such as:
- Chopped sun-dried tomato and chopped fresh basil
- Additional sesame oil and sesame seeds
- Chopped canned or fresh roasted red pepper, one chopped chipotle pepper in adobo, dash of hot sauce, and cilantro
- Two tablespoons of chopped green and black olives, added chopped rosemary and garlic
- Roasted garlic and onions, cooled and chopped, added rosemary and oregano
The next time you have a hangry attack reach for those cut-up veggies and dip into a no-carb, no-guilt, no-gluten snack that will fill you up but won’t weigh you down!