Description
Creamy roasted red pepper hummus blends Middle Eastern flavors into a smooth, zesty dip. Quick preparation and simple ingredients make this appetizer a crowd-pleasing favorite you’ll want to share with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (15 oz / 425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large roasted red pepper
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- salt
- black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2–3 tbsps reserved chickpea liquid (aquafaba) or water
- extra olive oil (for drizzling)
- chopped roasted red peppers
- sesame seeds or pine nuts
- fresh parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- Roasting Pepper: Position red bell pepper cut-side down on a baking sheet, roast at 450°F (230°C) for 20-25 minutes until skin becomes deeply blackened and blistered.
- Steaming Technique: Transfer roasted pepper to a covered bowl, allowing it to steam for 10 minutes to naturally loosen the skin for easy removal.
- Pepper Preparation: Peel away charred skin, discard seeds, and chop the soft, smoky pepper flesh into manageable pieces.
- Blending Process: Combine chickpeas, roasted pepper, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt in a food processor with blade attachment.
- Texture Refinement: Pulse ingredients while slowly integrating olive oil, adjusting consistency with reserved chickpea liquid or water to achieve a silky, smooth texture.
- Flavor Balancing: Taste and adjust seasoning, incorporating additional lemon juice, salt, or cayenne to elevate the flavor profile.
- Presentation: Elegantly transfer hummus to a serving dish, creating a decorative surface swirl, then garnish with olive oil drizzle, sesame seeds, and fresh parsley.
- Serving Suggestion: Present alongside crisp vegetable crudités, warm pita bread, or artisan crackers for an irresistible appetizer experience.
Notes
- Optimize Pepper Roasting: Rotate the bell pepper during roasting to ensure even charring and prevent burning, creating a perfectly smoky flavor without bitter notes.
- Manage Moisture Balance: Control hummus consistency by adding reserved chickpea liquid gradually, preventing a runny or overly thick texture that can compromise taste and dippability.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Toast cumin and sesame seeds briefly before adding to intensify their nutty, aromatic qualities and elevate the overall taste profile of the hummus.
- Adapt Dietary Needs: Swap tahini with alternative nut butters like sunflower seed butter for those with sesame allergies, maintaining the creamy texture and nutritional integrity of the dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 139
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg