Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

My 4 year old son has been asking me to make Roasted Red Pepper Hummus for ages.  Mostly because we always run out of our store made hummus, previous to our next trip back to our local co-op.  It is one of his favorite healthy snacks, especially served with sliced cucumbers.  In the past I had been hesitant to try making hummus at home.  I had been really intimidated by the whole process, especially when my friend, who I consider a great cook, told me that hummus was the one thing that she always preferred store-bought.  This did not bode well for me, who has been cooking for a much shorter amount of time than she has!

One day after cleaning out my pantry, I discovered I had several cans of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) and an unopened jar of tahini (Who else has a pantry full of random ingredients?  The organization of the pantry was obviously overdue!).  What else would I make other than hummus?  First there are the chickpeas.  You can certainly used dried chickpeas, but this takes much longer.  Since using dried chickpeas takes some planning (and an overnight soaking), I decided to use canned chickpeas.  Honestly, I don’t think you can tell the difference when it comes to hummus.  Tahini is a paste made from toasted sesame seeds.  This can also be made at home, but I find it easier to buy this in a jar.  At my local co-op you can find tahini in jars located near the peanut butter.  In the closest big box grocery store to my house, you can find tahini in jars in the ethnic foods section, near other mediterranean foods.  If you live in an area where ethnic foods are difficult to come by, tahini can always be ordered on amazon.  I use an adjustable measuring cup to measure my tahini (truth be told this is one of my most used kitchen tools, a must have for any kitchen.  I got mine from Cooks of Crocus Hill in St. Paul-a fabulous local cooking store, but this could also be ordered on amazon).  I also like a little bit of spice, so I use the full one-fourth teaspoon of cayenne, but you could start with a pinch if you were concerned about your hummus getting too spicy.  One of the really important parts of the recipe is the actual processing of the hummus in the food processor.  There are multiple times when the recipe calls for processing of a minute or more.  Don’t skimp on this.  This lengthy processing times are what add air and makes the hummus light and creamy.  By taking shortcuts you can certainly make a faster hummus, but by adhering to the lengthier processing times, you will make a tastier hummus!

I considered my friend’s words to be be a challenge accepted.  It turns out that there are many fabulous hummus recipes out there and I think I stumbled upon the one that actually makes a roasted red pepper hummus that is better than store bought!

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

This is a hummus sure to please even the pickiest of hummus eaters!

Author Adapted from a recipe found on inspiredtaste.net

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 can of chickpeas 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Chopped red pepper parsley, pine nuts (optional, for garnish)
• Veggies cut for serving suggestions: cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, grape tomatoes, pea pods
• Crackers for serving

Instructions

1. Slice the peppers so that they will lie flat.
2. Place peppers skin side up on foil lined baking pan.
3. Roast the red peppers by broiling the peppers (place rack close to broiler) until skin has charred, approximately 10 minutes (check at 5 minutes so you do not burn the peppers!)
4. Place the steaming peppers into a glass lock container and seal. (A ziploc bag can be used as well)
5. Wait 20 minutes, until skins loosen.
6. Peel skins from peppers and discard skins. Put peppers aside.
7. Combine lemon juice and tahini in a food processor. Process with the metal blade for 2 minutes. Scrape sides and process an additional minute.
8. Add the olive oil, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Process for 1 minute.
9. Scrape sides and process an additional minute.
10. Add half of chickpeas and process for 2 minutes.
11. Add remainder of chickpeas and process for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
12. Turn food processor on and add roasted peppers through chute, process until smooth, approximately 2 minutes.
13. Check consistency, if too thick, slowly add water until preferred consistency.
14. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
15. Garnish with chopped red pepper, parsley, and pine nuts (optional)
16. Serve with cut vegetables or crackers.