Recipe: Hummus with lemon, cucumber and sesame seeds
It’s no secret that people in Southern Europe know what tastes good. But it’s also incredibly healthy. Fresh, simple seasonal produce, uncomplicated dishes, easy on the wallet and simply mega-delicious. What’s not to like?
Susie Theodorou: ‘The hummus you can buy in shops is too strong-tasting for my liking; garlic in particular often dominates. When I was little, we ate hummus without garlic, and I love the simple yet sublime combination of chickpeas and tahini. You can shorten the preparation time by using canned chickpeas. In that case, cook the drained chickpeas for 20 minutes with the onion and parsley to prevent the hummus from lacking flavor.’
How to make it
- Put the chickpeas in a medium-sized saucepan with a lid. Add enough water to cover the peas by at least 10 cm. Bring the water to a boil and skim if necessary.
- Turn the heat down low, add the onion and parsley, and place the lid askew on the pan. Simmer everything gently for 1½ hours, until the chickpeas are very tender.
- Drain the chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquid. Keep the onion but discard the parsley. Put the chickpeas and onion in the food processor.
- Put the tahini in a small bowl, pour in 75 ml of the reserved cooking liquid and whisk everything into a smooth mixture.
- Add the lemon juice and whisk again.
- Add the tahini mixture to the chickpeas and purée everything until smooth. If necessary, mix in a little more of the cooking liquid.
- Season the hummus with pepper and salt, spread it over a large plate and add the garnish. Serve with pita bread.
Garnishes
Lemon, cucumber and sesame seeds
Finely chop 1 preserved lemon (approximately 75 g), including the peel, and scatter it over a plate of hummus or bean purée. Add 100 g cucumber cut into very thin slices, a pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (approximately 3 tablespoons). Finally, sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds and serve.
Super-quick pickled red onion
In a small bowl, thoroughly mix 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar with a pinch of pepper and salt. Using a mandoline, thinly slice 1 small red onion or 2 shallots, add them to the bowl, toss everything together and set the bowl aside for 10 minutes. Drain the onion slices and distribute them over the hummus or bean purée. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil before serving.
Little Gem salad
Separate the leaves of a Little Gem and tear larger leaves into pieces. Put them in a bowl and mix with 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 3 anchovies in oil, drained and chopped, and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Season with pepper and salt. Divide the salad over the hummus or bean purée.
Olives, tomatoes and rosemary
Heat a large cast-iron frying pan until very hot. Add 300 g cherry tomatoes and fry for 2–3 minutes, until slightly charred. Add 75 g pitted Kalamata olives and 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Stir everything briefly, add 2 sprigs of rosemary broken into pieces and season the mixture. Fry for another 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Spoon the mixture over a purée or dip of your choice and serve.
Title: The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook
Author: Susie Theodorou
Price: €20.00
Publisher: Spectrum
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