Ok, I confess – it’s a slight cheat because you’re going to be using ready-roasted peppers but I’m all for time saving if it helps you to eat well. If you make a batch of this hummus at the start of the week (5 mins is literally all it takes) you can use it to slather over oatcakes or veggies for an instant snack, or to top salads, making lunch a bit more interesting.
Why hummus? Chickpeas are a great source of protein and fibre, both of which keep you feeling fuller longer. Fibre also feeds the healthy bacteria in the gut, which support immune function.
Another plus – you can make this hummus in a nutribullet, although a normal food processor or a hand blender will work too. If using a hand blender you’ll just need a tall container or measuring jug to blend in. This hummus is also made without oil – a trick I learnt from Ottolenghi.
Ingredients – makes a reasonable sized tub, about 4 serves
- juice of one lemon
- 50 grams light tahini (sesame seed paste – you can buy from a supermarket or health food store)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
- 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 jarred roasted peppers, drained and roughly chopped (most big supermarkets will sell these)
- 50ml cold water
- salt and pepper to taste
How to
- Pour the lemon juice and tahini into your blender and pulse for about 20 seconds then scrape down the sides. This will whip the tahini and lemon into a thin ‘sauce’, helping the other ingredients to blend.
- Tip in the garlic, half the chickpeas, red peppers, then the other half of the chickpeas on top. Finally pour over the water – this will help everything to blend more
- Blend for about 10- 20 seconds – then stop and scrape down the sides. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper then blend again until you have a smooth consistency.
- Transfer to a tub and refrigerate until ready to eat (although a quick dollop on a piece of sourdough is highly recommended).
Nutrition – per quarter tub
Cals 165 Protein 7g Fat 9g Carbs 12g Fibre 4g