Roasted Pepper Hummus

I’ve long thought that the hummus my dad makes is far superior to any other hummus. For a while though, since my dad is Lebanese, I thought this just meant that I really liked authentic Lebanese hummus. But then I spent a summer in Lebanon and still found the hummus not to be quite up to what I was used to at home. When I asked my dad about it, he smiled and said, “paprika.” It’s not truly authentic, he admits, but I have to agree that it adds a little something extra. So, even though this isn’t my dad’s recipe, I knew as soon as I set out to make it that I had to add paprika. Alongside roasted peppers and garlic, a little bit of this spice really does seem to complete the flavors here, and I love sprinkling extra on top for visual effect.

Roasted Pepper Hummus (adapted from All Recipes)
Yield: about 2 cups hummus

Ingredients:

• 3 bell peppers*
• 2 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp tahini
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

*Red or yellow are best as they’re sweeter and have more nutrients than the green ones. They’ll also give great color to your hummus.

Method:

1. Over an open flame on a gas stove (or grill) or under the broiler in the oven, roast 3 bell peppers until the skin is blistered and charred. Rotate the peppers halfway through. This should take about 10 – 15 minutes using either method.
2. Transfer the peppers to a paper bag or a bowl. Roll the top of the bag down or cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside until cooled (about 20 minutes), then remove the peppers, rub the skins to remove, chop off the stem, squeeze and scrape out the innards (seeds and membranes), and roughly chop.
3. Meanwhile, in a small cast iron or nonstick pan, dry roast 2 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled over high heat until their skins are darkened in spots, about 5 – 10 minutes.
4. Let the garlic cool slightly, then peel.
5. Using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender, combine the roasted peppers and garlic with 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 1/2 Tbsp tahini, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt, and puree until the hummus is at your desired consistency.
6. Taste, and add any extra spices or salt, as needed. Serve topped with extra paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.