Who doesn’t like a good hummus? Mild, nutty and agreeably versatile, this creamy dip is a go-to for snacks, spreads and parties. It’s also a wonderful starting point for variations, such as carrot hummus.
Picture your favorite Middle Eastern hummus — the ubiquitous blend of chickpeas, sesame paste (tahini), olive oil, lemon and garlic. Then, send it further west to North Africa, picking up a few more ingredients along the way, such as coriander, mint and harissa, a fiery Moroccan chile paste. Now, add the carrots — but before you do, roast them, softening them to a blending consistency and coloring them with specks of char while coaxing out their ample natural sugars. Give it all a good blitz in a food processor until thick, creamy and smooth. Take a taste — it will be mildly sweet, slightly nutty, a tad smoky and bright with citrus. Scrape it into a bowl and lick the spoon, then decorate the top with a shower of chopped crunchy pistachios and fragrant cilantro. Chances are you will never go back.
Roasted Carrot Hummus
Yield: Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
Carrots:
1 pound orange carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of sugar
Hummus:
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 to 2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon harissa sauce (or sambal oelek)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon sumac
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for garnish
Garnish:
Chopped shelled pistachios
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the carrots in a small baking dish. Add the oil, salt and sugar and stir to coat. Roast in the oven until the carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove and cool slightly.
Transfer the carrots and any pan juices to the bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining hummus ingredients and process until smooth. If hummus is too thick, add additional olive oil or warm water to your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning.
Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and garnish with the pistachios, cilantro and extra black pepper. Serve with pita wedges, baguette and/or crudites.
Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author and recipe developer, and authors the blog TasteFood.