Sunshine Hummus

You could argue that all hummus brings the sunshine with it, but there is something particularly sunny about this one, golden with turmeric. And perhaps I have been a little more whimsical than I might otherwise be in its photograph here, but I needed a dish to celebrate the summer solstice, and those strips of yellow bell peppers/capsicum (for dipping into the hummus) just begged to be the sun’s rays!

When I first made this, I added some preserved lemons that needed to be used up, and if you also have some to spare, then chop up 75g/3oz soft-skinned preserved lemons and add them to the processor along with the chick peas, and add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice first off. They bring a slightly perfumed and pickly note to the hummus, though I love the simpler version which leaves them out, just as much. Lemon juice alone — and quite a bit of it — offers the perfect balance to the earthiness of the turmeric; you will probably need two lemons to get enough juice, though one large lemon might do it.

You will see that in the ingredients list I have stipulated either jarred chickpeas or dried, which you soak and cook yourself. That's because I find, over here, most canned chickpeas are too pebbly ever to turn into a really smooth hummus. But if you're happy using canned chickpeas, you can simply use a couple of tins, along with most — possibly all — of the viscous liquid in the cans too.

Please don’t feel constrained by my sunny styling: this golden hummus is also divine wodged into sandwiches as a replacement for mayo, or eaten just as it is with bread or crackers.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

You could argue that all hummus brings the sunshine with it, but there is something particularly sunny about this one, golden with turmeric. And perhaps I have been a little more whimsical than I might otherwise be in its photograph here, but I needed a dish to celebrate the summer solstice, and those strips of yellow bell peppers/capsicum (for dipping into the hummus) just begged to be the sun’s rays!

When I first made this, I added some preserved lemons that needed to be used up, and if you also have some to spare, then chop up 75g/3oz soft-skinned preserved lemons and add them to the processor along with the chick peas, and add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice first off. They bring a slightly perfumed and pickly note to the hummus, though I love the simpler version which leaves them out, just as much. Lemon juice alone — and quite a bit of it — offers the perfect balance to the earthiness of the turmeric; you will probably need two lemons to get enough juice, though one large lemon might do it.

You will see that in the ingredients list I have stipulated either jarred chickpeas or dried, which you soak and cook yourself. That's because I find, over here, most canned chickpeas are too pebbly ever to turn into a really smooth hummus. But if you're happy using canned chickpeas, you can simply use a couple of tins, along with most — possibly all — of the viscous liquid in the cans too.

Please don’t feel constrained by my sunny styling: this golden hummus is also divine wodged into sandwiches as a replacement for mayo, or eaten just as it is with bread or crackers.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.