Nothing has your back like hummus; it’s time to give her a well-deserved glow-up. Filling, satisfying and always dependable, hummus is the culinary equivalent of gravity, the sun rising, or England losing a football tournament. Like anything popular, though, it has a quality spectrum. Sure, the supermarket stuff can do the job fine, but it always, frustratingly, hints at the possibility of greatness. Homemade versions vary. There’s your rubbly, hastily smashed can of ‘peas from the back of the cupboard with an ageing clove of garlic and perhaps no tahini. It’s fine in a rustic, make-do kind of way. The garlic is too harsh, the chickpeas too pebbledash, and the result lacks richness. Then. THEN. There’s the really good stuff. Plump peas meet sparkly lemon juice, pearly-fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil and a generous amount of gloriously tacky, toasty tahini. The benefit of using these new-gen jarred peas is that they come in their cooking juices, which gives the smoothest result. A peek into the blender reveals a kaleidoscope of undulating dunes. A spoon glides through the surface like a croc through the Nile.  It’s so easy to make an exceptional hummus and it starts with those jarred chickpeas. After that, it’s a case of lobbing it all into a blender and thinning it to your desired consistency. People have used dried (and then cooked) chickpeas to do this for centuries, of course, but frankly, I don’t have the patience, particularly now that we have access to brands such as the incredible Bold Bean Co. As wonderful as fresh hummus is swooped up with warm bread, it’s even better topped. This can be as simple as a squidgy-boiled egg and a couple of pickled chillies or it can be something more elaborate. I often use it as an opportunity to get a vegetable in, hence the charred Tenderstem option below: the frilly charred ends are bitter while the stems remain sweet; finely chopping it makes for easy eating.
Then there’s a recipe for a slightly more lavish lamb version, which comes with a shiny dried apricot and pine nut sauce, which would be great on its own as a topping, FYI, if you fancy something fragrant and tangy with pops of sweetness from the fruit. Whatever you decide, this is a PSA to give hummus some main-character energy. Treat yourself to some quality chickpeas. Get those flatbreads toasting.
Hummus with Grilled Lamb and Apricot and Pine Nut Sauce Hummus Lamb topping To make the hummus: Drain the chickpeas, reserving their juices. Add the chickpeas, remaining hummus ingredients and some salt to a blender and blend to a smooth consistency. Add some of the jar juices until you reach the desired consistency. Check the seasoning and add more salt and lemon juice if needed. Roasted Tenderstem Topping (see hummus recipe above) 200g Tenderstem broccoli Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
SUPERSIZE ME! This week it’s a recipe for my favourite hummus variation: burnt leek. It’s so easy and SO good (no it doesn’t involve a BBQ). Plus! A free box of Bold Bean Co chickpeas for one lucky paying sub. It’s what hummus dreams are made of. Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Flavour nugget #17: two excellent hummus upgrades
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