We’re really been powering down on our squash coverage lately. And we’re not sorry.
Claire Thomas’ pumpkin hummus is a guaranteed hit for girl gatherings (like most of her Kitchy Kitchen recipes). Serve it with crackers, crudite or atop eggplant toast for the ultimate fall veggie combo!
I call it the three-to-one rule. Whenever I’m planning a dinner party, I only make one ala minute dish for every three make-ahead dishes. This way, I can get my cooking and cleaning out of the way well before I have to worry about guests arriving, and I can actually focus on being a host.
Hummus and crudité is one of those simple, perfect platters that everyone loves. It can get a little boring though, if it’s the same hummus-and-celery-stick situation everyone is expecting. So for this recipe, I decided to mix it up a little by adding roasted pumpkin and rosemary to the hummus. For serving, homemade crackers and radishes are my favorite. Enjoy!
ROASTED PUMPKIN HUMMUS
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 tsp baking soda
6 cups water
3/4 cup light tahini paste
1 cup pumpkin, peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed, stem discarded
salt
1/3 cup ice-cold water
Directions:
Put chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with cold water at least twice their volume, and soak overnight. Preheat the oven to 425F. Coat the pumpkin in olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Set aside.
The next day, drain chickpeas. Combine drained chickpeas and baking soda over high heat, cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly to coat them. Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer – skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface – for about 30 minutes. They should be very tender, but not completely mushy.
Drain the chickpeas and place in a food processor, blending until you get a thick paste. Then, with the machine still running, add the pumpkin, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary and a little salt to taste. Slowly drizzle in ice water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste. Let the hummus rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, and remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.
