A new way to hummus – Roasted butternut squash and carrot hummus (GF, Vegan, DF)

I like hummus, yes I do!

Chickpeas, tahini, and olive oils are loaded with healthy fats, fibers, protein, antioxidants, and tonnes of vital vitamins while very low in carb. It’s so quick and simple to pulse them into a deliciously healthy and nutritious dip, either for mid-day snacks or as side for dinner’s main game.

Yet i often find the classic hummus rather “bland” and the taste diminishes with subsequent servings. As geeky as it might sound ?, I’d label it with an economic term –  “diminishing marginal utility”.

❓ So the question is, how can we make a full-size batch of hummus and still enjoy every single serving on subsequent days?

ℹ “Mix ’em up” – This means, adding other exciting superfood to the chickpea-tahini base and turn them into a colourful and extra flavourful hummus. Think of (pink) beet hummus, (green) edamame & coriander hummus, (yellow) carrot hummus, (orange) sweet potato/pumpkin hummus and many many more.

ℹ Portion it into single-serving size boxes and keep ’em in your freezer as precaution for future snack-attacks ?

My favourite so far is Roasted Butternut Squash & Carrot Hummus. The smokey and nutty sweetness of the veg, when spiced with exotic herbs and smokey & nutty sweetness, creates an exciting twist to your regular dip-plate.

So here is what you’ll need

Ingredient – 6-8 servings

The hummus

• 180gr butternut squash, peeled and cubed (~1/2 of a medium size squash)
• 250gr carrots, peeled and cubed
• 1.5 tbsp (~ 20gr) tahini
• 1 + 0.5 tbsp (~20ml) extra verge olive oil. Feel free to add another tablespoon if you prefer a smoother texture. As for me, I’d like to keep the healthy fats on balance 😉
• 1cup (~ 200gr) canned chickpeas, rinsed
• 1tsp (~2-3gr) low-sodium salt
• 1tsp caraway seeds. I did not have caraway so substituted by fennel seeds
• 1tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1/2tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 1 lime
• 1-2 tbsp water to thin the hummus

The garnishing

• The remainder of canned chickpeas, roasted
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Shredded carrot
• (Optional) 1 tsp (~10ml) extra verge pumpkin seed oil. Trust me, this will kick your hummus up one notch!

Method

• Mix all chopped squash, carrots, 1/3 of the chickpeas, garlic (unpeeled) seeds and spices in a large bowl. Let them rest for about 10-15 mins to make sure all the spices are fully absorbed.

• Drizzle 1/2 tbsp olive oil on top, mix well and spread them on a lined baking tray
• Pre-heat oven at 175C. Once ready, roast for 15-mins, take the tray out to mix and turn the vegetable chunks on the other side. Roast for another 10 mins.

• Preserve chickpeas for toppings
• Discard peel of the garlic
• In the food processor, pour in the roasted squash and carrots, the remaining 2/3 can of chickpeas (by not roasting this part, moist is retained and thus the hummus texture will be smoother), garlic, cilantro, tahini, and the remaining olive oil.
• Add in the salt and juice of one lime

• Pulse the food processor with occasional scraping
• Add extra oil if wish and some water to create the desired texture

With hindsight, mine was a bit on the dry side; however, I did not want to add too much oil, knowing that I would drizzle some pumpkin seeds oil later on for the extra kick!

Serving

• Remember, divide the hummus into serving-size portions. Refrigerate those that you’ll be eating the coming days and freeze the rest
• Add roasted chickpeas
• Drizzle some pumpkin seeds oil on top. If not, use extra verge olive oil
• Top with sesame seeds and shredded carrots
• Build your favourite vegetable plate: celery, carrots, paprika, cucumber, or jicama if you live in Asia or South America

⇒ HAPPY DIPPING!!!

Nutritional Value per serving (MyFitnessPal)

• Calories: 150Cal / 628Kj ; Fat: 7.7gr of which Saturared 0.8gr, Polyunsaturated 1.1gr, Monounsaturated 3.1gr; Sodium 110mg; Potassium: 245mg ; Carb: 15gr ; Fiber: 5.8gr ; Sugar: 2.1gr ; Protein 4.5gr
• Vit A: 90.7% DV ; Vit C: 7.4% DV ; Calc: 2.8% DV; Iron: 3.3% DV