Hummus is very easy to make, plus it can be prepared in advance. All you need are garbanzo beans, oil, lemon and a few other ingredients. I made a batch today, and after whipping it together, I served the hummus in tiny cups and garnished it with roasted bell peppers and lemon crackers.
If -like us- you host a lot of dinner parties, you might feel a little pressed for fresh appetizer ideas. My criteria for the perfect appetizer, besides being incredibly delicious, is that it doesn’t take an insane amount of time to prepare. I love to cook, but it’s (usually) more fun to spend time with your guests! All you need is a simple recipe, the right ingredients and attractive, small containers to show them off.
1. Info for How to Make Hummus
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 24
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for How to Make Hummus
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper
- 5 tablespoons white sesame seeds, raw
- 3 pickled shallots (or garlic), thinly sliced (see tips)
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (or more olive oil)
- 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, freshly ground
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons curly parsley, snipped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 (4.5-ounce) package lemon zest crispbread (see tips)
3. Directions:
- For the roasted bell peppers: Cut the stems off the pepper. Wash the pepper, pat it dry and brush with oil. Place a grill on your stove and char all the skin of the pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes until you can handle it without discomfort. Clean the pepper using a knife; the skin will come right off. Seed it and cut into thin strips.
- Dry toasting the sesame seeds: To enhance the flavors, dry toast the sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes, before the ingredients start changing color. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool completely.
- Making sesame paste: Grind the sesame seeds in a mini-blender (you could also use a mortar and pestle). The sesame seeds should turn into a fine mill. Add about 2 tablespoons of water for a smoother flow. The sesame seeds should turn into a thick paste (tahini). Zest and juice the lemon.
- Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.
- In a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, pickled shallots (or garlic), ¼ teaspoon paprika, ground cumin, lemon zest, lemon juice, tahini, remaining olive oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Pulse until smooth. (if the spread is too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons of water). Season with salt. Transfer to a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
- This step isn’t essential but I think it makes the appetizer much lighter (see tips). Whip the heavy cream (at a low speed) until creamy and smooth for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the sesame oil. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
- Whisk the hummus to soften it. Gently fold in the whipped cream in stages.
- Line up verrine glasses. Place the filling in a piping bag. Pipe or spoon in the hummus. Decorate with the strips of red bell peppers, creating little bridges. Garnish with curly parsley. Top with a lemon cracker.
- Pipe a little more hummus, so it’s visible, then dust with a little paprika using a fine mesh shaker or a strainer.
- Serve each cup on a pretty saucer and place more lemon crackers on the side, along with a small spoon.
- Serve at room temperature.
- Bon appétit!
