So i had some Sabra hummus sitting around in my fridge, untouched for days, and a huge container of organic baby spinach leaves that my mom bought and never bothered to use. So i thought, why not make a pesto-hummus?
My 5-min Pesto-Hummus (5-min if the hummus is store-bought)
- hummus, 1/2 cup
- baby spinach leaves, 2 clenched fistfuls
- pan-toasted pine nuts, 1 small handful
- extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
Place all ingredients in the food processor, in the order that they’re listed, and grind/purée until smooth, but don’t over-process it, because you want to be able to still see the beautiful flecks of spinach. The recipe will yield about 3/4 cup of pesto-hummus. Optional garnishes, as pictured above, include a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkling of paprika, chopped hard-boiled egg, extra toasted pine nuts, and crumbled feta. What a happy feast on one tiny plate!
Cook’s notes:
- I know, i know, why is the garlic missing, especially when i’m more addicted to garlic than possibly anyone else in the world? Well, i just didn’t think it would integrate itself very well with the store-bought hummus and the rather tossed-together “pesto.” This recipe is more about adding a touch of freshness, via the greens, to an already-delicious (but rather salty) hummus. Also, notice that i didn’t use any cheese in the “pesto”. Hummus is rich to begin with, and cheese in hummus? Eh…i don’t know about that.
- To make an authentic pesto-hummus, you would have to make the pesto separately (preferably with a knife or a mortar and pestle) and mix it into homemade hummus, but then it wouldn’t be a 5-min recipe.
- As with any pesto, you can certainly experiment with the greens and/or nuts you use. I don’t think basil would blend as smoothly with the flavor of hummus, though. I can see hazelnuts working fabulously here, but walnuts may overpower the hummus. That’s only just a few of the possible alternatives; google pesto variations and you’ll find endless results. Please leave a comment if you have any other ideas!
nutrition:
hummus = protein
egg = more protein
spinach = iron
whole wheat pita = complex carbs (quick energy)
olive oil = monounsaturated fat (sustained energy)
dish count:
none
1 Comment
August 28, 2009 at 5:46 pm
[...] she had good scores… But what I know she had is great receipes, and I want to post here her Hummus Pesto recipe as a homage to my sweet sweet Italian husband, who loves this Israeli/ Middle Eastern hummus so [...]