Bright Green Hummus with Charred Broccoli
Warmer weather is slowly upon us, St. Paddy’s Day just passed, and let's be honest — our immune system can use all of the nutrients it can get. You know what that means? It's time to get our green on, people!
Enter, stage right: Hummus
This is not your traditional packaged hummus that you throw onto a plate with pita chips (great too though, especially when entertaining, I’m not hating!). This is much easier than you thought, aspirational, and Instagram worthy hummus. It’s the “person you follow on social media who looks so flawless but really they’re just doing the bare minimum” hummus. Yes you heard me people, It's so simple and oh soo delicious. You’ll be bragging about this hummus to all of your friends until they’re green with envy. HEHE.
By blanching the kale, we take out any bitterness, maintain that gorgeous green color, and keep all the nutrients. But the kale isn't the only ingredient making this hummus a standout dish — by adding soy sauce and date syrup (which may seem unconventional) we’re adding a depth of flavor that can’t be beat. Date syrup is like a honey, it has a concentrated maple flavor with a touch of tang. The soy sauce adds umami, that salty full-mouth, big flavor feeling.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, za’atar is the new “everything bagel seasoning '' - it has Dried thyme, oregano, marjoram (oregano's sexy floral sister) and toasted sesame seeds. A sprinkle of this magic green is an easy way to instantly add a ton of flavor to any dish.
To top off the green in our dish, we’re ditching the classic raw crudité and making a quick charred broccoli. The natural meatiness and fire roasted flavor is the perfect snack to pair with the hummus and seeded crackers.
Bright Green Hummus with Charred Broccoli
Serves: 4-6 people
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 bunch lacinato/dinosaur kale, stems removed (you can remove the kale from this recipe if you’d like)
Kosher salt
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon date syrup (or honey)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 large garlic clove
1/3 cup tahini (I used tahini my cousins brought me from Israel, but any tahini works great.)
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks broccoli
Steps:
MAKE HUMMUS: Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Once water is boiled, add in a generous amount of kosher salt. Add kale to the boiling water, making sure it is fully submerged, cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove kale from the pot and set aside on a baking sheet or plate.
Roughly chop cooked kale. Add Chopped kale and 1 tablespoon water to a high speed blender or food processor; blend to puree.
Add drained and rinsed chickpeas to the food processor. Blend to combine. Add juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon date syrup, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, garlic clove to the food processor. Add in 1/3 cup tahini and blend until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stream 2-3 tablespoons olive oil into a food processor as it runs on the lowest function until hummus is fluffy.
CHAR BROCCOLI : Remove stems from the broccoli using a sharp knife, and cut broccoli into florets. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add broccoli florets to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook broccoli 5 minutes per side until caramelized and golden exterior with light crunch when bite through it.
PLATE HUMMUS: Place hummus in a wide bowl. Spread the hummus using the back of a large spoon, creating a divot to hold EVOO and za’atar to the center of the hummus divot.
Serve with charred broccoli and seeded crackers (seeded cracker recipe coming at ya soon!)
