Green Goddess California Hummus
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of cooking for some pretty amazing women in Sonoma and made this dip as an element for their grazing board one night. It hadn’t been on the table but 5 minutes and everybody was already asking for the recipe. So, in honor of those amazing women (and JB!), here it is!
I would also like to maKe a disclaimer that this recipe is not a traditional hummus, which is a gorgeous purée of chickpeas, tahini, salt, and lemon from the Middle East. However, the name “Hummus” has become so recognizable, that I am calling this dish a hummus, while it should more accurately be called a Green Goddess Chickpea Purée.
GREEN GODDESS CALIFORNIA HUMMUS
Yield: 1 pint (3-5 depending on appetite)
To a food processor or high power blender, add:
- 1 handful of blanched* spinach, fava leaves, chard, or any tender greens you have on hand
- Enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the spinach
- a pinch of salt
Blend on high until you reach a smooth purée
To that, add:
- 1/4 preserved lemon, seeds discarded
- 1 clove of garlic, grated on the microplane directly into the blender
Blend on high until fully puréed
To that, add:
- 15 oz chickpeas, drained, with the liquid reserved
- 1 Tbs tangy greek yogurt (or vegan yogurt for a dairy-free option)
- 1 handful of your favorite tender herbs, such as parsley, chives, mint, dill, fennel fronds, oregano, marjoram
Blend again until the consistency is thick, but smooth- almost like a peanut butter. If you need to thin it out a bit to get it moving in the machine, drizzle the reserved chickpea liquid (aqua faba) into the purée a small amount at a time
Serve in a bowl garnished with edible flowers, chili powder, ground sumac, flaky sea salt, or whatever your heart desires. I love to add this dip to my grazing board with seasonal veggies and grilled flatbread. It also is delicious on an open-faced sando topped with greens dressed in a lemon vinaigrette and a fried egg on top, or even just by the spoonful!
Enjoy!
Taste it and adjust for seasoning if need be (maybe needs a little more salt, or some acid. If you plan to serve this dish immediately, you can add some lemon or lime juice, but if you are planning to serve it several hours later, or the next day, wait until just before to add the lemon juice. Acid denatures chlorophyl and will turn your hummus from a vibrant green, to a dull one.
*Blanching is a wonderful technique to master in your home kitchen, It requires a simple set-up of boiling water, a bowl with ice and water, and some kind of tool to remove the items being blanched. Anytime you are making a green purée and want to preserve that vibrancy for an extended period (several days), blanche the green thing first. It is also a fantastic way to not overcook vegetables, such as asparagus, that are being served cold or at room temp and would otherwise be unpleasant to eat raw. Simply add your ingredient into the boiling, salted water, then the second it turns to a vibrant green color, remove it and immediately place it into the ice bath to cool completely (which stops the cooking and preserves the color). If you do not have enough ice (which is often the case in my house), you can do the cheater version, which is to spread everything out in an even layer over a cookie sheet and then put immediately into the freezer for a few minutes to cool it down. Just set a timer because I’ve accidentally frozen quite a few veggies this way by forgetting about them.