Hummus is one of those appetizers that many people buy from the store. However, it is so easy to make and you can save so much money making it yourself. All it requires is a blender. I make it in a personal blender. This roasted red pepper hummus is a change from the traditional flavored hummus with the addition of the red pepper. Like the smoky egg plant dip, I roast the red pepper directly on the stove top. This infuses a mild smokiness into the red pepper. Delicious!
As a healthy alternative, use hummus in sandwiches as a spread instead of mustard or mayonnaise. It's different and amazing!
Tips for making roasted red pepper hummus.
Red peppers.
Roast red peppers in the oven or on the BBQ grill. I prefer to char them directly on the stovetop. It's a little messy, but the smokiness from the char infuses into the pepper and this makes all the difference.
Red bell peppers.
Roast red peppers on stovetop.
Once the pepper is soft and charred / roasted, remove the charred peel and seeds.
Peeled and seeded roasted red bell peppers.
Chick peas.
Canned chickpeas can be found at any grocery store. Drain the canned chickpeas, but reserve the "aquafaba". Aquafaba which literally translates to "bean water" is the name of the chickpea juice as a result of cooking the chickpeas. The thick juice is great to add as additional liquid if needed. Unlike most recipes, I don't rinse the chick peas, because the residual liquid on the chickpeas is thick, tasty and full of nutrition! So why would anyone think that rinsing the chickpeas is a good idea when the aquafaba has trace amounts of
- B vitamins
- Folate
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Healthy fats, like linoleic and oleic acids
Tahini.
Tahini is sesame paste. It makes a great addition to various dips and is a key ingredient for hummus. Tahini, when mixed with a liquid, becomes an emulsifier and thickens.
Fresh lemon juice.
This recipe recommends using fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice doesn't really have that "fresh" taste.
Blending.
Blending red pepper hummus in personal blender.
The easiest way to make this hummus is either to use a personal blender, immersion blender, regular blender or food processor. A very smooth consistency can be achieved by using a powerful blender.
Accompaniments.
I like serving roasted red pepper hummus as a "Mediterranean trio" combination of dips with a smoky eggplant dip and cucumber tabbouleh. These pair nicely with veggies, pita bread or pita chips.
Mediterranean inpired trio dip: Smoky eggplant dip, roasted red pepper hummus, tabouleh.
ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS
Ingredients
- 1 medium red pepper
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼-½ tsp sea salt Depending on saltiness of aquafaba
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 can chickpeas / garbanzo beans Separate the chickpea juice (aquafaba) from the chickpeas
- 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
Instructions
- Roast red pepper by placing it directly on gas stovetop flame, BBQ grill or oven roast until soft. Smoky flavor comes when skin is charred.1 medium red pepper
- Remove skin with knife.
- Allow to cool.
- Empty a can of chickpeas into a blender, separating the chickpea juice (aquafaba) but DO NOT THROW AWAY.1 medium red pepper, 2 Tbsp tahini, 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp olive oil, ¼-½ tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1 can chickpeas / garbanzo beans, 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
- Add all other ingredients into blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- If the hummus is too thick, add a tablespoon of chickpea juice (aquafaba) at a time and blend, until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve with pita bread, pita chips, crackers or vegetables.