A Taste of Greece

Hummus is a traditional dip or spread that consists of mashed/pureed chickpeas and in its original form, tahini (a paste made of ground sesame seeds), lemon juice, and garlic. A popular way to serve hummus is as a dip with pita chips or cut up vegetables. It can also be slathered on flatbread or used as a spread on a veggie sandwich.

There are countless variations to classic hummus and I came across one that included roasted red peppers in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine. Nick had asked me once before to try to replicate a roasted red pepper hummus that he had eaten while traveling in New Mexico. That attempt failed miserably! When I saw this recipe, I decided to give it another shot and tried to adapt the recipe to suit our tastes. This one worked and we'll definitely be keeping this recipe!


Red Pepper Hummus (adapted from a Cooking Light version)

1/2 red bell pepper
2 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, quartered
1 T. olive oil

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place one pepper half, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel.

3. Place bell pepper and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth, slowly adding olive oil until desired consistency.