By: Rachel
We love hummus, really, we do. But after going to about 8,000 parties where the only completely plant-based food was the now ubiquitous chickpea dip, we've sadly grown somewhat tired of it. And as we started to plan our Superbowl spread for Sunday's big game (don't ask us who's playing, DO ask us what's for dinner!), we knew our guests would expect to see some hummus on the table. But we also knew we could do better.
Enter our new smoky butternut hummus, made with roasted butternut squash to give it just a hint of sweetness that we've balanced against the sultriness of smoked Spanish paprika. Our fancied-up hummus is:
-a little sweet
-a little savory
-super easy to make
-perfect with veggies, crackers, or as a sandwich spread
It also doesn't hurt that we've snuck a serving of squash—full of vision-protecting beta carotene and blood pressure-lowering potassium—into a food your guests will love.
Here it is!
Smoky Butternut Hummus
Makes 12 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt (note: we used freshly hydrated chickpeas. if you're using canned, add salt gradually to taste)
1/4 cup water (reserved from chickpeas if you used canned)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash into 1 inch cubes, removing skin as you cut. Toss with olive oil and roast in oven, tossing every 10 minutes until browned and soft—around 30-40 minutes. While squash is roasting, place chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, smoked Spanish paprika, salt, and water in a blender or food processor. When squash is ready, measure one cup of cooked squash and add to blender or food processor. Set aside remainder of squash to use as garnish. Process ingredients until smooth. Pour into bowl and garnish with cooked squash pieces.