Roasted Carrot and Harissa Hummus
It’s Thursday. But for me if feels like a lazy Sunday. It’s
the first day in a long while that it has silently rained for hours. My head
feels cloudy like the weather, but my mind feels calm. For some reason this
grey day fills me with peace and quiet. As I write this, I am sitting on my
dark blue couch, curled up in my favorite blanket, over looking the purple and
pink garden full of summer flowers. I have the urge to play Jack Johnson’s "Banana Pancake" song…however, neither do I have bananas nor do I have my fiancé
around to share them with. So instead I write.
Today is the first day of summer break. My first year of
graduate school is now behind me. All I can say is “wow". My mind is blank, my
adrenals exhausted…one down, one more to go. Naturally, with so much free time, all I want to do is
create. So that is what I did.
Homemade hummus is so easy to make. Not only that but the
quality of homemade hummus is 100x that of what you can buy in the store….and
much cheaper.
Hummus is great to have around. It is very versatile. You
can spread it on sandwiches or wraps, you can use it as a dip, or you can even
warm it up and serve it along side a salad and fresh bread. Whatever your heart so
desires. Its full of good fiber, plant protein, and essential fats. Alongside
veggies, that are full of bioactives and important vitamins and minerals, you
have yourself a balanced snack. Cool right?
Well the hummus I made today was based upon what I had in my
refrigerator. Carrots and harissa caught my eye. Hmm…sweet and spicy, that
sounds good!
So here it is…the magic that came together in whirl.
Roasted Carrot and
Harissa Hummus
Preparation time: 30 minutes total, 10 minutes active
Makes about 2 cups
For the hummus:
3 carrots, pealed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 15oz can of garbanzo beans, drained
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (regular will work too,
color will just be slightly different)
2 tablespoons roasted tahini
2 teaspoons harissa
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper to taste
To prepare the
hummus: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the carrots in half and chop
into chunks. Toss in 1 teaspoon olive oil and place onto a baking sheet. Roast
in oven for about 20 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile
in a large food processor add garbanzo beans, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar,
tahini, harissa, and salt. When the carrots are done add them into the food
processor as well and pulse to combine. Slowly add in the olive oil. Process until
smooth. Season with fresh ground pepper and more salt to taste.