Pumpkin Hummus

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Pumpkin Hummus is guaranteed to get the conversation started at your next cocktail party!  Pumpkin adds a nice complexity to this hummus without screaming at you.  And don’t worry, there’s nothing sweet about it… but it does gets a touch of warmth from cinnamon, and heat from smoked paprika.   It looks festive and it’ll keep hungry holiday guests off your back while you wrestle with the big bird. I am on a continuing quest for the smoothest creamiest hummus possible, and I made another breakthrough with this recipe.  I’ve tried all kinds of techniques in the past for achieving a silky, non gritty texture in my hummus.  I’ve used both dried and canned beans, I’ve tried painstakingly removing all the skins from the beans before pureeing, I’ve tried my blender, my food processor, all of which give me nice results, but not the super smooth texture that I get from our favorite local restaurant. This time I tried something different.  I drained a can of chickpeas and put it directly into the processor all by itself.  I blended just the beans for a full 2 minutes, scraping down the machine often, before I added any other liquids or ingredients.  …

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic (peeled)
• 1 oz 15 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
• 3 tbsp Tahini
• juice of lemon
• ¼ tsp salt
• pinch of cinnamon
• ¼ tsp hot smoked paprika
• garnish
• olive oil ((divided))
• Sun flower seeds

Method

1. Fit your food processor with the metal blade and turn it on. Drop the clove of garlic in and let it go until finely minced. Add the drained chickpeas and process for a full 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the machine as necessary.
2. When the chickpeas are completely smooth, add the pumpkin, tahini and lemon juice. Process again until smooth.
3. Add about 1/4 cup of ice cold water through the feed tube while the machine is running, until you reach the desired consistency. You may need a little more water.
4. Add the salt,cinnamon, and paprika, and then taste to adjust.
5. Spoon the hummus into a wide shallow bowl, and make a swirl with the back of a spoon. Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with pepitas and sumac or paprika. Serve with pita bread.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island