Chickpeas are good for you. High in protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, some might even say that they are a superfood. We’ve been playing around with hummus for a while now, working lots of different vegetables into the mix. In this one we’re using roasted sweet potato, which adds a nice sweetness.
PREP AND COOK TIME: 1 HOURSERVES: 4
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 2.5cm dice
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons hulled tahini
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup Vegetable Stock
¼ cup ice-cold water
juice of 1 lemon
freshly ground black pepper
GARNISH:
¼ bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C.
2. Place the sweet potato on a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground cumin and roast for 35 minutes until cooked through.
3. Combine the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, the cayenne pepper, the remaining salt and ground cumin and the vegetable stock in a blender and blitz. Do not expect the mixture to immediately blend smooth. It may take a number of times blitzing and stirring, adding a little olive oil each time to get a more even blend.
4. Add the sweet potato to the blender and blitz again. Gradually pour in the ice-cold water and blitz until the consistency you desire. Season to taste with the lemon juice and salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the hummus into a large bowl and, using the back of the spoon, guide to the outside of the dish as you turn the bowl with your other hand – this creates a well. Pour a drizzle of olive oil into the well, sprinkle on the herbs, pine nuts and a pinch of salt.
