Fiesta Hummus

FIESTA HUMMUS

Move over Mediterranean food, there’s a new way to party with hummus!

I had never tasted hummus (nor any Mediterranean food at all) until a dear friend of mine in college introduced me to a little Greek restaurant in Birmingham named Nabeel’s.

Oh. the. joys!

Hummus swimming in extra virgin olive oil with an abundance of pita bread and their signature appetitzer, Feta Theologos, could have been my only sustance for the grueling hours of studying for organic chemistry, microbiology, and biochemistry!

A few years ago (too many years after college graduation to admit) I happily I chose to go down the path of the personalized immune calming diet that I use with my own clients because Hashimoto’s disease was looming on my horizon (based upon lab work) and I wanted to do everything I could to calm down my immune system and to prevent the development of this auto-immune condition. (Plus, I had plenty of other symptoms that I knew could be addressed with a powerful food-as-medicine approach). 

Alas, when I received my MRT test results back and was reactive to both lemon and olive, I knew that I had to find a different way to satisfy my hummus longing (those two common hummus ingredients weren’t calming to my immune system!)

Happily, lime and cumin were ingredients that did work well for me and that I enjoyed. Hence, necessity is the mother of recipe invention!

Enter… fiesta hummus! Now, it’s party all around here!

This is the perfect marriage of Greek and South-of-the-Border cuisine packed into a creamy, dreamy dip.

Fiesta Hummus

This is the perfect marriage of Greek and South-of-the-Border cuisine packed into a creamy, dreamy, LEAP friendly dip.

Prep Time: 5minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Mexican

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Bethany Thomson, RDN, LDN, CLT

Ingredients

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained (3 cups cooked chickpeas) can also use navy beans but recipe may require more water
• 1 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• ¼ cup LEAP friendly oil avocado, olive, and sunflower oil work well
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons water optional, depending upon desired consistency

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. 
• Store in the refrigerator 2-3 days or freeze in small glass jars for a quick and wholesome snack or side. 

Kitchen Notes and Substitution ideas: 

• Pairs nicely with LEAP friendly tortilla chips, as a sandwich spread, stuffed into mini peppers, or as a dip for carrots or celery.
• Try substituting lemon for lime if that works better for you 
• Swap out coriander for cumin 
• Kick it up a notch with 1/8 teaspoon or more of cayenne pepper 
• Love garlic? Toss in 1/2-1 teaspoon of garlic powder along with the other ingredients

Here’s to Wholesome!

Bethany