The great thing about hummus is that there are countless variations and flavor profiles. Chickpeas can easily take on myriad flavors, including sweet, savory, and salty. For example, you can season chickpeas with classic taco spices and sauté them to create a vegan taco filling. In the case of hummus, you can use classic Greek spices, spicy chili peppers, or even avocados and spinach.
In the case of this hummus, you incorporate pumpkin seeds, which contain beneficial nutrients like magnesium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, and manganese. They also provide polyunsaturated fatty acids, potassium, riboflavin, folate, and antioxidants. In fact, the antioxidants include vitamin E and carotenoids. Several studies determined that the antioxidants are the reason why pumpkin seeds have so many health benefits.
Since pumpkin spice is in the air, why not utilize pumpkin seeds in hummus? Don’t worry, this hummus does not taste like a pumpkin spice latte. The seeds blend beautifully with the chickpeas and actually yield a much creamier consistency than regular hummus. Plus, the zesty lemon and nutty tahini make it even more smooth. Make sure to cook the garlic in a pan for a few minutes prior to blending it into the hummus. It adds another dimension of flavor.
- Prep Time:5m
- Cook Time:5m
- Total Time:10m
- Serves: 12 servings
- Yield: 16 ounces
- Category: Dips & Spreads, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (15 oz) can organic garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
- 1/4 c raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 4 tbsp. tahini
- juice of 1 lemon
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Warm the one teaspoon of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.
- After about 30 seconds, toss in the minced garlic and cook until lightly browned (about 2-4 minutes). Remove from heat and add to a food processor.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the same food processor and blend until smooth.
- You may need to stop blending, scrape down the sides, and continue blending to ensure that all the ingredients are blended.
- Serve in a bowl and top with optional drizzle of olive oil, pinch of paprika, and pinch of sea salt and pepper.
- Store leftover hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three or four days.
