Pumpkin Hummus

Hummus is arguably the Middle East’s greatest culinary gift to the world. Creamy chickpeas, enriched with tahini, pungent with garlic and fragrant with judicious use of spices – what’s not to love? But you know me, always tinkering away with things around the edges! Classic hummus is undoubtedly great, but I decided to put my own twist on it to make it perfect for fall. Pumpkin Hummus is the best dip as the weather starts cooling down.

What is Hummus?

Hummus just means “chickpeas” in Arabic. But for most of the world, hummus is inextricably linked to a dip made of chickpeas, in which the legumes are blended until very smooth, along with tahini, sesame paste. It’s a classic dip that is most often served as part of a mezze plate at the beginning of a meal. But it’s got so many other uses as well. You can use it as a side dish, or as part of a big spread for a party or even bring it to a pot luck. Or just have it as a snack with crudités, as I served it here.

How to Make Pumpkin Hummus

Once your pumpkin and chickpeas are cooked, it’s just a matter of blending all the ingredients together. I usually save a few chickpeas and a little extra pomegranate molasses to use as a garnish, then just pop the rest into a blender. If your chickpeas are freshly cooked and still warm, even better. Although I actually used canned chickpeas for this recipe.

Cooking the Pumpkin

If you’re in a real rush, you can use canned pumpkin purée and skip having to do any cooking at all. Just make sure that it’s unsweetened and unflavored. As nice as pumpkin spice is, you don’t want those flavors in pumpkin hummus! But if you’re cooking your own pumpkin, the easiest way is simply to boil it. Cover with water and simmer until tender. I wouldn’t usually bother to turn on the oven especially. But if I had it running for something else, I might roast the pumpkin instead of boiling. That can add some interesting toasty aromas to the hummus.

Blending Pumpkin Hummus

Simply put everything in the blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. You’ll probably need to add a dash of water to help everything become creamy. Once it’s well-blended, add more water as required, just a little at a time, until you have the perfect consistency for you. If you prefer a more liquid texture, you’ll probably want to add a little more salt as well.

What to Serve with Hummus

For a healthy snack, my preference is simply to cut raw vegetables into batons and serve them as crudités up alongside the hummus to dip in. If I’m very hungry, I might add some pita bread chips as well.

But I’ve also had a lot of success serving hummus as a side dish. Think about mashed potatoes, and how well their creaminess goes with stews and gravies. Hummus does that as well and pumpkin hummus can be especially good here. As fall sets in and the weather turns cooler, serving a warming stew over a dollopp of pumpkin hummus is a delicious (and probably healthier!) version of mashed potatoes.

And More…

Looking for more pumpkin recipes for fall? I love pumpkin, and I’ve got a fair few for you to try out!

• Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Ginger Soup
• Pumpkin Empanadas
• Pumpkin, Red Lentil and Coconut Curry
• Pumpkin Mango Bread
• Pumpkin Potato Latkes

Conclusion

If you’re looking for interesting things to do with your fall produce, consider giving my Pumpkin Hummus a try. Regular hummus is great and I’m certainly not claiming that this is better. But it’s nice to switch it up once in a while – plus you’re adding some extra vitamins to the mix as well! How do you like your hummus? With pita or vegetables? For an appetizer, a snack, or as a side dish? Let me know in the comments how you eat yours!