Slow-roasted or sun-dried tomato and basil hummus recipe

When I turned 13 years old, my grandparents gave me the gift of a summer in Israel in honor of my bat mitzvah. I lived on a kibbutz, worked in the orchards and the chicken coops, and learned to love foods I'd never tasted before, like pomegranates, which we plucked from our own trees, and falafel, and hummus. It's so easy to make your own hummus. All you need are canned chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), garlic (essential), olive oil, and a food processor or blender. Add whatever flavorings you have in the pantry. I love this sun-dried tomato and basil hummus; if you have your own slow-roasted tomatoes, substitute those for a more intense tomato flavor.

Slow-roasted or sun-dried tomato and basil hummus

From the pantry, you'll need: chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), lemon, slow-roasted or sun-dried tomatoes, kosher salt, pimentón dulce (sweet smoked paprika), garlic, extra virgin olive oil.

Makes 3 cups.

Ingredients

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup slow-roasted or sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 tsp pimentón (smoked paprika)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the chickpeas, garlic and tomatoes until coarsely chopped. Add the tahini, smoked paprika, lemon juice and olive oil. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons of water. Let the processor run until the hummus is smooth; if necessary, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, to achieve the desired degree of smooth. Taste, and season with salt.

Refrigerate for an hour, or up to three days ahead, to allow the flavors to combine. The longer it sites, the more exciting the flavor. Store in the refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Lemon onion hummus
Roasted red pepper and garlic hummus crostini
Greek hummus with white beans and feta
Chickpea falafel
Chickpea, quinoa and spinach salad with preserved lemon vinaigrette

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Jalapeño and lime hummus, from Gluten-free Goddess
Spring pea hummus, from Simply Recipes
Wild garlic hummus, from Nami-Nami
Mediterranean salad with hummus dressing, olives, capers, and feta, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Hummus en fuego, from 101 Cookbooks

Comments

I slow-roasted cherry tomatoes on the weekend. so i am excited that i have everything i need to make this today. love it!Israel is a dream destination and I've just met a totally amazing person from Israel here in Weimar. We've talked for quite a few hours and I now more than ever want to visit the country.

Lydia, how awesome that you had that experience in Israel to celebrate your bat mitzvah! I can't think of a better introduction to hummus. I didn't enjoy my first hummus until I was in college. A dear friend had lived in Israel during her teenage years and would often share hummus, tabbouleh, pita, and more with us. It was all wonderful! And your hummus looks amazing. LIke Meeta, I have some cherry tomatoes I can roast. :-)

Thanks!
Shirley

Meeta, slow-roasted tomatoes are a gift from heaven. So sweet, so versatile. I do hope you get to visit Israel; you will love it (and especially the food).

Shirley, when you are 13, you don't appreciate anything as much as you do when you are... well, older! I am so glad I was introduced to those foods as a teenager, because the love of hummus, falafel, etc., has stayed with me all of my life.

That looks amazing. Do you have a preference between slow-roasted or sundried, or does it taste basically the same? I think I've done something similar to this, but I'm putting yours back on the list.

Todd, my personal preference is always for the slow-roasted tomatoes I make with garlic and thyme from my garden. Good-quality sun-dried tomatoes are a perfectly good substitute in this dish.

I'm sure I was close to 30 before I ever tasted hummus, so I am quite jealous of your summer in Israel at such a young age. Love the sound of this; I am anxious to start making slow roasted tomatoes!

Kalyn, my grandparents were very wise, and also very traditional. They gave each of their four grandchildren the same gift. On his trip, my Cousin Martin met an Israeli boy who became a lifelong friend.

Slow roasted tomatoes are absolutely divine and I love them in hummus!

What a wonderful treasure your summer in Israel was. Thanks for sharing your story.

What a wonderful and enlightening experience at 13!! And ohhh boy... those tomatoes!!! They are a wonderful addition to anything!

Jackie, Carol: That trip definitely changed my life, not just at 13, but as I brought those experiences into adulthood. It was only much later that I realized how wise my grandparents were to give me that experience.

Growing our own pomegranates? That is a dream, Lydia!
I love hummus and left to my own devices I'm capable of eating an entire bowl myself. Not pretty. This tomato version looks delicious, I love the color!

Oh Lydia, what an amazing Bat Mitzvah gift that was! It must have been an incredible experience that marked you forever! I spent the summer in Israel when I was 17 and I also discovered so many fabulous foods and ingredients and hummus was one of them. I love both slow-roasted and sun-dried tomatoes for that special sweetness they add to dishes and I'll bet this hummus is so good.

Patricia, I can eat a bowl of hummus by myself, too, especially when it is flavored with my own homemade slow-roasted tomatoes.

Jamie, sometimes I think we led parallel lives as kids!

I love the idea of using slow roasted tomatoes in this hummus Lydia. Last week, I made hummus with sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and smoked Spanish paprika and loved it too. The basil in your recipe would have been a nice addition. Note to self for next time.

I don't have a good recipe for hummus and this looks wonderful. I'm making this asap. Thanks!

Mmm, I have such a weakness for hummus, this looks lovely!

I love hummus! Such a great way to boost your daily fiber intake thanks to all those yummy chickpeas. I can't wait to try this. Yum!

This looks like a great recipe. I like the idea of the tomatoes and the basil is a nice touch. I usually make a basic hummus with coriander and lemon. I will try yours though!

Jeanette, roasted peppers would be a great addition here. Next time, I'm going to try that.

Donna, I think it's all about the proportion of chickpeas to tahini. Everything else is variable.

Jenny, I do, too. I ate this one for breakfast for days in a row.

Kati, isn't it fun when something that tastes so good is also good for you?

Tim, do you use ground coriander, or fresh cilantro (or both)?

I love hummus and it is so easy to make at home... I'll take your advice and see what flavors I can add to spice things up a bit!

Always on the lookout for hummus recipes ... dear hubby loves it :-)