Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I don’t know what it is, but something about bringing food to a barbecue unleashes a competitive streak in me.

It’s instant, too. Within seconds of being invited to what is essentially an afternoon of alfresco dining in someone’s backyard, the wheels in my head start to spin.

“What do I make?” “Should I go savoury or sweet? Or both!” “How many dips is one too many?” “Cookies or brownies?” “Will anyone really eat the kale salad?” and of course the eternal question: “Do I bring hummus?”

To which, the answer my friends, should always be yes. Especially when it’s this Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

After all – nothing says barbecue more than a spiced, smokey yet wonderfully creamy dip that pairs perfectly with chips and crudités and is the perfect complement atop a salad or slathered onto a veggie  burger.

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Smokey, sweet and perfectly savoury this is the idea hummus to bring to a potluck or barbecue!

Course Hummus

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Nada E.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of chickpeas
• 1 large red bell pepper fire roasted
• 1-2 small cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp of cumin powder
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of water to thin as needed

Instructions

• Start by fire roasting your bell pepper. If you have a gas burner or stove, simply place the pepper as close to the heat as possible using tongs, a long metal skewer. I personally just leave the pepper straight on the stove on low heat. Rotate from side to side to roast evenly and proceed until the skin fully blackens. Alternatively, place it on a baking sheet and broil in the oven until fully blackened.
• Once nice and charred, place the pepper in a bowl of cool water and carefully peel off the skin, remove the stem and seeds.
• To a food processor or high-speed blender, add in the pepper and all remaining ingredients. Blend on low-medium speed until creamy, scraping down the sides as you go and adding water a tablespoon at a time and only as needed to thin the hummus if it's looking too thick.
• Garnish with chopped parsely, chickpeas, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Notes

For an even smokier flavour, try using roasted garlic in place of raw!
If you prefer a creamier hummus, add in an additional tbsp of tahini or 1 tbsp of olive oil while blending
If you're too lazy to fire roast your own bell peppers - you can usually find them in jars at the supermarket or at the deli section with the olives
A food processor is generally best for making hummus, but if you are using a blender make sure to

I am proud to say that on this particular occasion, everything that I brought to the barbecue was a hit (yes, all five dishes – overachiever is my middle name).

In addition to the hummus, the roasted butternut squash topped with za’atar and tahini was a particular favourite amongst the all omni crowd. The kale salad however didn’t have quite as many takers.

Oh well, can’t win them all.