Butternut hummus
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Chickpea and tahini dip enhanced with roasted butternut squash.
This is a colourful vegan dip making several pots and was inspired by a Moroccan recipe from Riverford Organic Farm Foods.
Ingredients
Method
Preparation
Slice the squash lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Remove the skin and chop the flesh into roasting chunks. Toss in a little olive oil and then roast in the oven at gas mark 4 (180 °C; 350 °F) for 20 to 30 minutes until tender to a testing knife.
Meanwhile:
Juice the lemon discarding skin, pith and pips.
Skin the garlic.
When the squash is cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a food mixer.
Drain the chickpeas (reserve the liquid) and add to the mixer, together with the tahini, the chilli powder and half of the lemon juice. Crush in the garlic, and add a good pinch of ground black pepper and salt, and a splash of olive oil.
Blend to a paste.
Check the sharpness, add more lemon juice if necessary.
Check the texture / runniness, add more chickpea liquid or oil if necessary.
Check the flavour, add more tahini, salt, pepper or chilli as necessary.
Assembly
Turn out into ramekins and decorate with a sprig of mint or parsley.
Serve
Serve at room temperature as a starter / snack / meze component.
Notes
Basic Hummus (chickpeas / tahini) will accommodate many different spice and herb variations: ring the changes and enjoy.
To use dried chickpeas, take 200 g and soak them overnight. Cook in the usual way (60 to 90 minute simmer), allow to cool, and then proceed as above.