HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT HUMMUS PLATTER

Otherwise known as: how to eat all the hummus.

If eating an entire hummus platter is wrong, then I certainly don’t want to be right. I mean, we can make this hummus platter at home and it’s not awful.

Creamy bean dips that are a vehicle for bread and crispy chips?

This, in fact, sounds wonderful.

So here’s the deal. This restaurant that we love has a hummus platter as an appetizer. And it’s really so simple. I mean, the platter itself is packed and loaded and huge and something I would absolutely order as a meal. But it’s made up of simple, relatable, classic, delish flavors – nothing is weird or wild and it’s all just so insanely GOOD.

We order it as a snack when we’re there and we end up devouring it. They serve the hummus in big scoops with both fluffy pita and pita-like crackers. There is a wonderful couscous salad that Eddie and I basically fight over. Plump olives. Roasted red peppers. Bits of feta.

I’m craving it just by description.

Now I’ve wanted to make a version at home for us for a long time. I’m no stranger to hummus but knew that making a platter at home would be slightly more time intensive since I’d have to make all three dips and continuously clean out the food processor.

You don’t really HAVE to do that, especially if you start with the chickpea version and finish with the black bean version and really scrape out that bowl well.

And you can even make it a bit ahead of time (like the night before) for a party, prep the couscous and just combine everything right before serving.

I promise. Totally worth it!

And if that still freaks you out, just make one version of hummus with the rest of the goodness. You’ll still be in love with the final result.

Let’s start with my favorite: caramelized onion hummus! I’m so into caramelized onions at the moment. After bringing them to their golden sugary peak, I whip them into regular old hummus – chickpeas + tahini – and oh my gosh, want to devour this dip with a spoon.

I’ve never cared about black bean hummus before – while I like black beans, I’ve never really LOVED them in whipped dip form. But this smoky black bean hummus is so full of flavor. Cumin, smoked paprika, lots of lime juice – ugh, it’s SO good. Even if the color makes it the most unappealing thing you’ve ever seen in your life ever.

The last of the bunch is this roasted red pepper white bean hummus. I know that roasted red pepper is almost known as a classic these days when it comes to hummus. While I love the peppers by themselves, I don’t always love that flavor of that hummus so I wanted to slightly switch things up. And it IS Eddie’s favorite flavor of hummus, so I couldn’t not include it. When mixed with the white beans, this dip is a bit richer and creamier than it’s chickpea counterpart. It’s really freaking good!

Okay okay, so what else is on this plate?

The quick tzatiziki is bright and creamy. Grated cucumber and lemon and yogurt – it goes on everything!

The couscous salad is dreamy. I love to take a pita wedge, slather on some hummus, add a spoonful of the couscous and top it with a drizzle of the quick tzatziki. It’s fresh and light but also a total flavor explosion.

We also have some olives (of course, my briney loving heart can’t say no), some cucumber wheels and red onion, lots of fresh herbs, lemon, olive oil – all the things that a great greek salad is made of. But it’s on this pretty little platter!

And if you’re feeling like making your own pita (it’s truly the way to go. So easy and simple and absolutely fantastic), I have a killer recipe for whole wheat pita here.

Have you ever heard something calling your name so loudly? HELLLLLO hummus platter.

Now my only goal in life is to convince Eddie that this is dinner tonight.

HOW TO MAKE A HUMMUS PLATTER

yield: SERVES A CROWD 

total time: 1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS:

caramelized onion hummus

1 sweet onion

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 (25-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup tahini paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

3 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling

fresh herbs for topping

roasted red pepper white beans hummus

2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup tahini paste

2/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

3 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling

crumbled feta for topping

smoky black bean hummus 

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup tahini paste

2 garlic cloves. minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 lime, juiced

3 tablespoon ice water

2 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling

cilantro, for topping

cold couscous salad

1 cup cooked couscous, cooled (you can make it ahead of time!)

1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup crumbled feta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

quick tzatziki 

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 seedless cucumber, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for serving:

pita bread, pita chips, marinated olives, cucumber slices, red onion, lemon wedges, fresh herbs

DIRECTIONS:

caramelized onion hummus

Heat a large pot over low heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the onions, thyme and salt, stirring well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and caramelized. This will take a full 30 to 40 minutes – or longer! You can do it ahead of time. But go low and slow so the onions don’t burn. Let them cool (at least slightly) before adding them to the processor.

Reserve a few chickpeas for topping. Place the chickpeas, tahini, the lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in your food processor. Puree until the chickpeas break down and the mixture starts to come together (it probably won’t be smooth at this point!). Make sure to scrape the sides with a spatula. Drizzle in the ice water. Blend it for a minute or two – just let it go! Once the water is in, the hummus should really start to get smooth – if you need a little more water, add it 1 tablespoon at a time. Drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Scoop the hummus into a bowl, top with the reserved chickpeas and drizzle with a touch of olive oil. Add the fresh herbs and serve!

roasted red pepper white beans hummus

Place the beans, tahini, peppers, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper into the food processor. Puree until the chickpeas break down and the mixture starts to come together (it probably won’t be smooth at this point!). Make sure to scrape the sides with a spatula. Drizzle in the ice water. Blend it for a minute or two – just let it go! Once the water is in, the hummus should really start to get smooth – if you need a little more water, add it 1 tablespoon at a time. Drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Scoop the hummus into a bowl, top with some crumbled feta and even red pepper flakes, and drizzle with a touch of olive oil. Add the fresh herbs and serve!

smoky black bean hummus

Place the beans, tahini, cumin, paprika, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper into the food processor. Puree until the beans break down and the mixture starts to come together (it probably won’t be smooth at this point!). . Make sure to scrape the sides with a spatula. Drizzle in the ice water. Blend it for a minute or two – just let it go! Once the water is in, the hummus should really start to get smooth – if you need a little more water, add it 1 tablespoon at a time. Drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Scoop the hummus into a bowl, top with cilantro, and drizzle with a touch of olive oil.

cold couscous salad

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Taste and season additionally if needed.

quick tzatziki 

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Taste and season additionally or add more lemon if desired.

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