Sprouted Hummus with Smoked Paprika and Preserved Lemons

What You'll Need

Equipment
  • high-speed blender
  • good kitchen knife and clean cutting surface
Ingredients
  • 2 cups sprouted cooked garbanzo beans (canned is ok too, if you are in a hurry)
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 or more cloves peeled garlic
  • Rind from 1 whole preserved lemon
  • 1 Tbs brine from preserved lemons
  • juice of 2 fresh lemons
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika, plus more to sprinkle on top
  • 1 tsp cumin, plus more to sprinkle on top
  • 1 tsp salt (can be half smoked salt, if desired
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • optional: Up to 2 TBS cooking liquid from cooked beans, or water
  • 2 sprigs parsley and/or fennel greens, minced fine

In this recipe, some of the salt and acid needed to give zing to the staid garbanzo comes from the salt-cured preserved lemons. The smoked paprika adds an earthy, crimson note to the dish, and the preserved lemon rind adds a depth of lemon essence not found in mere ordinary, mortal hummus. Add another garlic clove, if you really love garlic. Use smoked salt, if you really love smoke. The seasons twist together in this recipe, a braid of harvests from different times of year, summer and fall and winter and spring; dried pepper, cured lemon, dry beans soaked in spring water.

 

Directions

Remove the flesh from a single whole preserved lemon.

preserved lemonLayer all ingredients except parsley or fennel in a blender.
blending hummusPulse on high speed until a smooth, uniform consistency is reached. If the mixture is too thick, add the reserved cooking water 1 Tbs at a time to make a more liquid mixture that will be easier to blend.

Taste and adjust seasoning. You may want to add another squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, or a sprinkle more cumin…Blend to incorporate the adjustments, taste again, and serve.
hummus with lemon
Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl, and top with the chopped herbs. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.
garnish hummus
Serve with fresh vegetables, pita, crackers, or Mediterranean fare.

Over to You

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