Lebanese Hummus

Dips, Appetisers & Finger Food

This hummus is a little unusual: It combines the lemony goodness of preserved lemons and the smokey depth of smoked paprika.

Ingredients:

• 16oz of cooked, unsalted chick peas (garbanzo beans)
• Juice of 1/2 a large lemon
• 1 tablespoon of the salt / lemon juice mixture from a jar of home made preserved lemons.
• 1 tablespoon of tahini
• 1/4 cup of dark rich olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of pine nuts (lightly dry toasted)
• 1-2 large pinches of smoked paprika

Steps:

1. In a food processor, liquidize the chick peas with the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and juice from the preserved lemons.
2. Pre heat a small pan on the stove, then add the pine nuts - watching and constantly and stirring frequently toast the pine nuts in a dry pan (no oil or water) until lightly browned. (about 2 mins).
3. Pour the liquidized hummus into a serving bowl.
4. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the hummus
5. Using a small sieve sprinkle the pinch(es) of smoked paprika through the sieve, dusting the hummus and pine nuts.
6. Serve.

Tip:

If you absolutely love lemon - you can include an 1/8th of a preserved lemon, finely chopped in the liquidizer with the other hummus ingredients.

I love this version, but others in my family say its too lemony for them ;)