Hummus is a sort of ‘hard to describe’ citrusy – tahini – garlic – chickpea fusion. Add smoked paprika and you get smoked paprika hummus. A whole new level of deliciousness.
Hummus is a welcomed addition to any diet. It’s plant-based dip full of essential fats. It is high in protein and has a well-rounded nutritional profile. I’ve been making this particular recipe for years now. It has been tested on most people who have ever sat down and tried my food on retreats. I make a few different types of hummus, but this one is hands down the most popular of all.
What is paprika?
In the English language, Paprika basically means a ground spice created from red, sweet pepper ‘Capsicum annum’ of various varieties.
To make it a little confusing, in some other languages, the actual fruit (bell pepper or sweet pepper) is also called Paprika.
Paprika is often associated with Hungarian cuisine, although I’ve heard that it actually originated in Mexico and found its way to Spain in the 16th century. It is very well travelled.
There are several varieties of paprika such as sweet, hot and smoked.
Paprika is usually made by drying the peppers in the sun until they are dry enough to grind.
What is smoked paprika?
Smoked paprika takes things into a whole new culinary arena and happens to be the magical ingredient in this hummus. It is made with a special variety of pepper – pimiento peppers. Once the peppers are dried, they are then smoked. Traditionally this is done over real wood like oak. The result is a unique and exciting, intense, smokey, sweet flavour!
A note on tahini…
Tahini is a beautiful creamy paste made from sesame seeds.
There are lots of different brands of tahini’s out there. All with different tastes. Lots of them are delicious, although occasionally a brand has a grainy bitter version, which in my opinion is not ideal at all. If can, be sure that you get a creamy, delicious version of tahini.
If you stumble on to a delicious source of tahini, you’ll probably get hooked on the stuff and might even start eating it off the spoon! For more about the health benefits of eating seeds check out my article here: The Importance of Eating Seeds for a Healthy Diet
Smoked Paprika Hummus – a recipe from my cookbook
I am not great at giving things a plug, but this recipe is from my book The Kind Earth Cookbook. If you like my recipes I’d be thrilled if you got yourself a copy.
Smoked Paprika Hummus - vegan, gluten-free deliciousness!
Smoked paprika hummus recipe. A delicious take on traditional hummus!
Ingredients
- 200g (1 cup) chickpeas (cooked)
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 4 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Juice the lemons and discard the skins.
- Blend all the ingredients together using either a food processor, jug blender, or hand blender - until creamy smooth.
- You can eat this right away, although it works best when chilled first.
- Serves well with pitta bread, crackers, or with salad.
- Don't forget to add a sprinkle of paprika on top to be posh.
Pin smoked paprika hummus for later…
Leave A Comment