Who needs a snack?
How about something that is not only tasty, but also healthy and good for you?
This hummus takes just minutes to put together and is a great alternative to chip and dip. Need a quick appetizer before dinner? How about something to pack up and take to the beach? Lunch box need a little sprucing up?
Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus to the rescue.
Here’s what you need:
Garbanzo Beans*, Roasted Red Peppers, Olive Oil, Garlic, Lemon, Fresh Basil, Salt & Pepper.
*Garbanzo Beans are sometimes called Chick Peas. You’ll find them in the store with the regular old cans of kidney beans and black beans. As a bonus, Garbanzo Beans are high in both protein, fiber and folate which has something to do with B vitamins. They’re one of those “Super Foods” that we’re all supposed to be eating. Healthy, healthy, healthy.
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This recipe will be a snap to make if you have a food processor. A good sturdy blender should also do the trick. If you’re using a blender, be sure to add the oil first into the bottom of the blender so that it has an easier time grinding up the beans.
Drain a can of Garbanzo Beans and toss them into the food processor.
Smash, peel and roughly chop up 1 clove of garlic. Use more if you’re into the raw garlic thing and don’t have a hot date later.
Add the chopped garlic to the food processor.
Roasted Red Bell Peppers. Do you use these?
I love them. They come in handy as a quick addition to sandwiches, scrambled eggs, pasta, pizza, quesadillas, you name it. Grind a few up, add some heavy cream and a few sauteed shallots and you’ve got one tasty pasta sauce.
Give 2-3 peppers a rough chop – about the equivalent of 1 cup – and add them to the garbanzos.
Throw in a handful of fresh basil leaves –about 10-12 if you’re counting.
Add the juice of one lemon. Be sure to strain out the seeds.
Season with salt and pepper. I started with about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. You can always add more as you go.
Put the lid on and give it a whirl to grind everything up.
Once you have a nice chunky mixture, start adding olive oil a little at a time. If you’re using a food processor, you can pour it in while the processor is running.
Add just enough olive oil to make the texture creamy….about 1/4 of a cup. This recipe uses much less oil than other hummus recipes because the roasted peppers from a jar are already a bit wet.
(I just noticed the old cat Scooter in this photo. She will be disappointed to find out that this recipe does not contain baked chicken.)
This hummus comes together really quickly. I like to leave it a little on the chunky side but if you want it totally smooth, just keep blending. Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Serve with veggies, crackers, pita wedgies…anything dip-able.
For another great hummus recipe, substitute 1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil (drained) for the red peppers. Or go 1/2 and 1/2 red peppers and sundried tomatoes. Delicious!
Here’s the recipe:
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