Talk about a colorful happy snack, side, or appetizer feast. This is really two recipes in one: creamy nutty hummus and crispy savory chickpeas. What a joy to set in the center of the table where everyone grabs a veg, bread, or spoon and just digs in. Communal platters of food are so much fun and create a sense of togetherness that’s different than individual plates. I love it.
This hummus recipe is so easy you will never by tempted by storebought hummus again. There is no store version quite as nutty and creamy as making it yourself. And it’s as simple as tossing a bunch of ingredients into a food processor and letting it do the work. I love this hummus. I use quite a bit of tahini (ground sesame butter) in it but find that it then has that needed nuttiness that other recipes achieve by adding cumin. I’m not crazy about cumin in my hummus so I think the tahini alone works best. This is a classic or basic hummus recipe—you could easily add anything like roasted garlic or red pepper if you wanted to spice it up.
The crispy chickpeas on top of the hummus are like a textural celebration of the chickpea. Chickpeas in many forms—ground cool and creamy meets warm, crispy and chewy. All I need now is falafel and my mind might melt. These simple crispy chickpeas are an adaption of Molly Yeh’s Harissa Braised Chickpeas with Feta. This recipe is a knockout. Go make it exactly like she says and you won’t look back. It’s on the spicier side (which I love) but if you’re like me and you’re making this for a crowd who might not all love spice, the tomato paste with just a sprinkle of red pepper flakes brings the heat down without compromising flavor. Sometimes I even do just a touch of Harissa alongside the tomato paste if I want to be somewhere in the middle. I make these chickpeas allllll the time, and include them in a Mediterranean Feast I’ll be sharing with you soon :) Enjoy!
