roasted garlic green hummus

Forever and a day ago (ok, three weeks ago maybe?), I mentioned that I was taking a kids’ nutrition class online. Total fail. I somehow managed to miss every single piece of the class. I’ve saved the podcasts so that I can listen to them, and have intended for two weeks now to get caught up, but I haven’t. You are just going to have to wait on that piece of review. I’m sure you are on the edge of your seat.

Anyway, I mentioned at the same time (or perhaps just photographed) the process of making green hummus with my kids. You know, homemade hummus with either broccoli or spinach to get a little more nutrient into snack time. The kids were pretty proud of that hummus. That did not mean that they wanted to eat it. It was a bit too garlicky and a bit too pasty. I wanted a smoother hummus with a more subtle flavor. But I still wanted the green. So I did some searching and came up with this recipe. Not a recipe for green hummus. Not a recipe for roasted garlic hummus. But, according to this recipe, the order of the ingredients matters in making a good hummus. Honestly, this sounded dumb to me. I mean, it all goes in a food processor for crying out loud. But I followed the directions anyway.

I started with my tahini and lemon juice (I’d add a little less lemon juice next time) and made a paste.

Then I added in the garlic, olive oil, and seasonings. I substituted a half of a head of roasted garlic (about nine cloves, I think) for the minced garlic. Probably should have cut up the roasted garlic first, but it all worked out in the end.

Next, I threw in my chickpeas plus a ½ cup of chopped broccoli (steamed in the microwave for 30 seconds). Pulsed that up and it looked only slightly smoother than my original recipe for green hummus. So I added water, a tablespoon at a time, as directed. My hummus took three tablespoons of water, but it was smooth and creamy, just like in the recipe photos.

The true test? The kids. And let me say that this recipe was a winner. All five of the kids that taste tested the hummus loved it. They ate almost an entire bag of mini carrots as an excuse to dip into the hummus. This is a simple recipe that has great stuff in it and is really tasty. Not too overbearing on the garlic, the cumin adds a nice fullness, and you can’t even taste the broccoli, but you know its nutrients are there. All around winner, for sure. Let me know what you think once you make it. I want pictures.