Sprouted Hummus with Smoked Paprika and Preserved Lemons

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.

Layer all ingredients except parsley or fennel in a blender.
Pulse 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.

Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl, and top with the chopped herbs. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.

Serve with fresh vegetables, pita, crackers, or Mediterranean fare.

Over to You

It’s part of our mission here at Mountain Feed to help you make delicious, sustainable, homemade food more often. Stop by and say hello on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Or, as always, you can do it the old fashioned way and come by the store to speak with one of our in-house experts.