52 Weeks of Hummus //Healthy //Herbs //Potager //Recipes
Dukkah Carrot Hummus with zhoug
May 13
3 min read
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Waste Not, Want Not
Inspired by one of my favorite recipes for roasted carrot, this nontraditional hummus is inspired by some of the memorable and remarkable flavors of the Middle East. Harissa, honey, dukkah, and a carrot top zhoug (similar to a chimichurri) add depth of flavor and interest for a delicious remake of a classic.
The Modern Potager Kitchen Garden
The joy of the modern potager is getting to expand your culinary skills and make restaurant-quality meals at home. Picking fresh ingredients from the garden and turning them into something that awakens your tastebuds and thrills is really what life is all about.
It should come as no surprise that I have a high appreciation of historical foods as an heirloom gardener. One of the oldest and most historically relevant dishes in human history is hummus.
And I could eat hummus morning, noon, and night. On its own with fresh flatbreads, alongside eggs, or loaded with roasted veggies. It’s this love of hummus that led Matthew to adamantly state, “You cannot survive on hummus and cucumbers alone.” As we shared a plate of one of my favorite variations, roasted red pepper hummus, with radishes, cucumbers, and herbs from the showcase garden, the challenge of his statement kept dancing in my mind.
While it made me laugh in the moment, the notion that I could not survive off such a healthy dietary staple sent me down a path of cultural exploration and adventures in the kitchen for weeks on end. I wanted to understand the lore surrounding hummus and its impact upon the world. And truth be told, I wanted to discover if one could survive on hummus without getting bored.
In short, I’ve accepted the challenge to explore all that hummus has to offer in both traditional and new ways with the help of some fantastic local chefs, food bloggers, and a little creativity. Together, we’ll make a year’s worth of delicious hummus variations—52 recipes that feature the best of seasonal produce and pantry essentials.
We’ll test various cooking techniques, discussing the pros and cons of each method to achieve multiple results. While some chefs swear by using dried chickpeas and removing the skins, today’s high-powered blenders make quick work of tinned beans with their skins intact.
THE HISTORY OF HUMMUS
The earliest known origins of hummus date back to the 13th century, with several cultures claiming the creation of the savory dip. Yotam Ottolenghi, chef and cookbook author, writes about the hummus wars in his book “Jerusalem: A Cookbook.” But Israel isn’t the only country where people argue over the best hummus recipe. Palestinians, Egyptian Arabs, Greeks, and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries also declare hummus as their dish, each region adding its own nuances.
The essence of the classic hummus recipe are chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and salt. As cooking methods have changed over the centuries, the textural preferences and techniques used to create the creamiest dip have altered the base recipes.
HISTORY OF CARROTS
Carrots and its numerous cousins can be tracked to the dry and hot lands of Iran and Afghanistan, where the earliest recorded history date them to 3000BC.
Because of their size and longevity, carrot seeds were quickly shared across Persian, Asian, and African lands. Even in ancient times, many colors of carrots were present and used – black, white, red and purple. However the popular orange color that we enjoy today were not present (that arrived in the 17th century!) and were mostly enjoyed for the seeds and leaves.
It wasn’t until the 12th century that additional cultivars were being bred for flavor in Europe rather than the leaves and traditionally, bitter root.
Carrots didn’t become popular in the United States of America until after World War I when returning soldiers shared stories of meals eaten during their time abroad.
Dukkah + Carrot Hummus with Chimichurri
Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups of fresh hummus | 4 servings
Inspired by Ottolenghi, Food Network, the spring season and years of enjoying hummus
Ingredients
Harissa + Honey Roasted Carrots
Recipe from Yotem Ottolenghi’s Simple
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons harissa
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, to taste
1 1/2 lb small, fresh carrots with green tops, trimmed
Carrot Top Zhoug
Inspired by Feasting at Home
3 cloves garlic confit
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cardamon
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
1/2 cup packed carrot-top leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Roasted Carrot Hummus
1 1/2 cups hydrated + cooked chickpeas (garbanzo) beans, reserve bean liquid for blending hummus (or one can of chickpeas)
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cloves garlic confit
1/2 cup roasted harissa carrots
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Pinch of sea salt
Glug of really good extra virgin olive oil
For garnish
1 tablespoon dukkah
Cilantro leaves (and flowers, if available), chopped
Drizzle of honey
Harissa + honey carrots
1) Preheat oven to 475F. While oven is heating, remove carrot tops from carrots, saving 1-inch of green stems (for presentation), slice large carrots in half for even roasting. In a large bowl, combine harissa, butter, olive oil, cumin seed, and honey. Add cleaned carrots to marinade, stirring to coat well. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until carrots are tender and caramelized.
2) While the carrots are roasting, strip the carrot tops, cilantro, and oregano from the tough stems, finely chop and set aside. Pulse the garlic confit, shallot, and jalapeno in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour into a small bowl. Add the olive oil, carrot tops, cilantro, cardamon, lemon juice, chili flake (optional) and stir until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside for flavors to marinate while you prepare the hummus.
3) Drain the chickpeas; reserving the liquid. In a high-powered blender, add chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, roasted carrots, ground pepper, and a small pinch of sea salt. Blend at high speed until smooth, scraping down the sides if needed. If the mixture is not blending well, add 1-2 teaspoons of bean liquid or water to help thin. Add one circle of olive oil (about 2 teaspoons) and blend again.
4) Place hummus in a shallow bowl. Garnish with dukkah, roasted carrots, zhoug, and cilantro. Drizzle with honey and a dusting of pepper and flaky salt for extra visual appeal.
Serve the hummus with warm flatbreads, extra roasted carrots, or radishes. Excellent as a hearty vegan lunch.
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