Chickpea hummus with marinated feta and roasted vegetables

Virginia, the author of Sweet&Sour, brings us a recipe that cannot be missing from our cookbooks: making hummus at home is easy and very versatile. It’s ideal both as an appetizer and as a starter or side dish. In this case she presents it with marinated feta cheese and some roasted vegetables, which pair wonderfully with the hummus.

How we enjoy summer, right? Long warm days, more laziness and walks by the sea or mountain outings. But I must confess that one of the things I like most about summer is the terrace or garden dinners that stretch on forever, with long conversations and good company.

But of course, although we like to enjoy special dishes as we do the rest of the year, we don’t like to spend much time in the kitchen or clean many kitchen utensils, so recipes that take little time to prepare are my best option. In this case I bring you a recipe that is not only a classic of Middle Eastern cuisine, but also a classic on my table, Hummus.

Hummus is a chickpea paste and tahini, with lemon, garlic and cumin, typical of Arab and Israeli cooking, that drives me crazy and that I’m sure almost everyone has tried and knows.

Skeppshult cast iron skillet, Fleur de Ligne porcelain tray, Triana glass pitcher and glass, AOVE Trilloliva and Masterclass round board

This dip is usually served in traditional mezzes and is traditionally accompanied by pita bread and crudités for dipping, but today we’re pairing it with something more special, a luxury marinated feta that will be useful for other recipes and some roasted vegetables, which we can have ready in the fridge ahead of time if we don’t feel like turning on the oven at the moment. Although I assure you they take just over 15 minutes.

All in all, a quick, fresh recipe that we can prepare in advance and only need to serve. Do you like the idea? Let’s get to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE CHICKPEA HUMMUS

For the Hummus:

• 400gr canned chickpeas
• 3 garlic cloves without the germ
• 80-100 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil Triolliva
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon of tahini or sesame paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 50gr water approx
• Sweet paprika, black sesame seeds and olive oil to garnish

For the marinated feta:

• 250gr feta cheese
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Triolliva
• Lemon thyme, oregano and/or fresh sage to taste
• Lemon zest
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the roasted vegetables with aromatic herbs:

• 1/6 dozen branch carrots, tomatoes, radishes, peppers
• Salt
• Fresh thyme, oregano and sage
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Triolliva

PREPARATION

To prepare the hummus:

1. Thoroughly rinse the 400gr canned chickpeas under running tap water.
2. Place the cleaned and drained chickpeas, along with the rest of the ingredients, except the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Triolliva, in the bowl of the hand blender or the stand blender and blend well until you obtain as smooth a paste as possible.
3. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream.
4. If the texture still seems too coarse, you can add a bit more water. It should be like a thick cream.
5. Adjust the lemon, cumin and salt to taste and reserve in a container in the refrigerator covered with a thin layer of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Triolliva so it doesn't oxidize.

To prepare the roasted vegetables with aromatic herbs:

1. Preheat the oven to 175ºC top and bottom heat.
2. Thoroughly clean the carrots under running water, scrape the skin and cut off the tops. Halve them. Do the same with the other vegetables and if they are large like peppers, cut them into pieces.
3. Place in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Add sprigs of thyme and rosemary and drizzle a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil Triolliva.
4. Roast for about 15 minutes, until the carrots are tender but slightly crisp. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
5. If you’re not going to enjoy them immediately, put them in the fridge in a airtight jar until ready to eat.

To prepare the marinated feta:

1. Cut the Feta into cubes and place them in an airtight jar.
2. Cover with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Triolliva and add the aromatic herbs and lemon zest.
3. Keep for at least 24-48 hours so the cheese absorbs the flavors of the oil and herbs.

Spice jar and iron pepper mill Skeppshult, Skeppshult cast iron skillet and Triana glass pitcher

This dip is ideal for enjoying during summer meals, either as a starter or as finger food, but when paired with this marinated feta and the roasted vegetables it becomes an ideal main dish for summer.

Tips:

When you add the garlic to the blender with the rest of the ingredients, remove the inner germ to avoid garlic bitterness.

Enjoy.
Virginia