Parsley Hummus with Pine Nuts and Hazelnuts
Ubiquitous. Fun word! And seems to have made my top list of words-to-describe-hummus. This yummy cross-cultural food first made it to North America in the 20th century. We have since seen many versions of it ubiquitously displayed in supermarkets. From the plain classic hummus, available even at Costco; to white bean hummus, edamame hummus, beet hummus, squash hummus…, available at many supermarkets and health food stores.
Good for us! With hummus being a great protein filled with iron, vitamin C and vitamin B12, among its many health benefits, we sure win as consumers of this goodness. And because, chickpeas, the main ingredient for hummus, are hearty yet neutral in taste, we can play around adding our own creative culinary twists.
I found that my family and friends most favored hummus dip recipes that stay true to the Mediterranean origins. A popular one that I recently made is a roasted red pepper hummus. But another one that has recently captured a few hearts is parsley hummus. In fact, my kiddos loved it as a dip for their veggies.
I am excited to share my recipe for parsley hummus here on Madison Moms Blog. Just maybe, it’ll be the dip to bring to your next party! Here is the best part: you can make this parsley hummus recipe in seven minutes or so!
Ready?
You will need a food processor and the following ingredients (in order of use):
5 tbsp tahini sauce
2 garlic cloves
1 lime or lemon, juice of
1 16-oz can of chickpeas (or two cups cooked chickpeas), drained, reserve some of the liquid
2 cups parsley leaves, stems removed
1 tsp hot paprika
½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
salt, to taste
olive oil
¼ cup hazelnuts, unsalted, roughly chopped, browned or toasted (optional)
¼ cup pine nuts, browned or toasted (optional)
Here is how you make it:
Start with garlic, tahini and lemon juice in the food processor. Run processor briefly to chop garlic and combine ingredients.
Add chickpeas. Remember to keep a little of the can liquid or chickpeas cooking liquid, you may need that later. If you wish, you could peel the chickpeas; this provides a smoother hummus texture. I don’t peel mine, by the way. ☺
Next add parsley, salt and spices, and two tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil. Run processor for a few minutes until all is well-blended, and you achieve a smooth paste-like texture. Test, and if the dip is too thick, add a very little bit of the chickpeas liquid you reserved earlier. Also, if you need to, add more salt or spices to your taste. Run processor again briefly.
Topping hummus with nuts is a great option to add a little crunch. I ended up briefly browning chopped hazelnuts and pine nuts each in a little hot olive oil (watch carefully and toss around; they brown very quickly).
Transfer hummus to your serving dish. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil. Top with nuts. I usually serve hummus with pita bread or pita chips. If you chose to skip the nuts, you might want to also add a side of veggies.
That is all there is to this parsley hummus. Why not give that good ol’ cheese dip a break, and bring this healthy dip to your next party? Your friends will beg you for the recipe; I promise!
Enjoy!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. For more of my recipes, please visit me at The Mediterranean Dish!
Suzy Karadsheh, Founder, Cook, Author
The Mediterranean Dish
http://www.themediterraneandish.com
[email protected]
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About Suzy
Suzy was born and raised blocks away from the beautiful Mediterranean Sea in Port Said, Egypt. She moved to the US for college, and ended up meeting her husband while she was a student in Michigan. Their young family of four recently moved to Des Moines, IA, where she now finally enjoys the stay-at-home life along with running her food blog, The Mediterranean Dish. Suzy enjoys yoga, reading and international travel. As far as cooking, she first gained her culinary passions at home in Egypt, where her family frequently hosted large gatherings with generous menus. She laughs as she describes these gatherings as something out of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Visit Suzy’s blog for delicious recipes!
