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AI-generated photograph: Creamy hummus swirled in a shallow sand coloured ceramic bowl, a pool of green olive oil and a dusting of red paprika in the centre, warm flatbread wedges and bright carrot, cucumber, pepper and radish batons fanned beside it on a stone board

Home · Recipes · Smooth hummus with warm flatbread and crudités

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern · Soups and starters

Smooth hummus with warm flatbread and crudités

whipped hummus · warm flatbread · crisp crudités

AI-generated photograph

Silky homemade hummus whipped with tahini, lemon and garlic, swirled into a bowl with olive oil and paprika, served with warm flatbread and crunchy raw vegetables (crudités) for dipping.

Contains: sesame and cereals containing gluten, as written. This recipe contains sesame, from the tahini, and gluten, from the wheat flatbreads. Flatbreads can also contain milk, soya or sesame, so check the packet.

Ingredients

  • 1 tin (400g) chickpeas
  • 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • A quarter teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • A pinch of sweet paprika
  • 4 flatbreads
  • 2 carrots, cut into sticks
  • Half a cucumber, cut into sticks
  • 1 red pepper, cut into strips
  • 8 radishes, halved

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Let's cook

  1. Tip the chickpeas and their liquid into a small pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Warming them makes the skins loosen and the hummus much smoother. Drain, keeping 3 tablespoons of the liquid.
  2. While they simmer, blend the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and half a teaspoon of salt in a food processor for 1 minute. It will go thick and pale.
  3. Add the warm chickpeas and blend for 2 minutes. With the motor running, add 3 tablespoons of ice cold water a spoonful at a time, then some of the saved chickpea liquid, until it is very smooth and soft enough to swirl.
  4. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed.
  5. Warm the flatbreads in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds each side, or wrapped in foil in a medium oven for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.
  6. Spoon the hummus into a shallow bowl and make a swirl in the top with the back of a spoon. Pour the olive oil into the swirl and dust with paprika.
  7. Serve with the warm flatbread and the vegetable sticks arranged around it.

Tips

  • The ice cold water is the trick for light, fluffy hummus.
  • Blend for longer than you think: 3 to 4 minutes in total gives a restaurant smooth texture.
  • Keeps in a covered tub in the fridge for 3 days.

Swaps

  • Gluten free: skip the flatbread and serve with more vegetables or gluten free crackers.
  • No tahini: use 2 tablespoons of extra olive oil and a little more lemon; this also takes out the sesame.

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Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

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