17 Sep Chickpea Spinach Hummus

I don’t know where to start with this one. Poor Kelsey! She is a dedicated champ in my books. I had this idea to make hummus with chickpeas and spinach. Not only did Kelsey run out and pick up some supplies for me, she willingly had sample after sample of hummus. I had added a rather robust clove of garlic to the batch which completely overpowered everything else. I would add more lemon juice and then run back to Kelsey with an ice cream scoop size of hummus. She was in the excruciating position of having to give me feedback, then deal with the new variation – poor girl! So thank you, Kelsey, for “taking one for the team” and kindly sampling the hummus (again and again and again) – you’re the best! I also have to thank Lauren from The 50 Acre Farm who so kindly dropped off some organic spinach.

I’m a big fan of hummus because it’s super easy to make and nutrient dense. Just 1/2 cup of chickpeas has an impressive 9 grams of protein, 8 grams of fibre (approx 30 % of your daily requirement) as well as addition potassium, calcium and iron. The addition of spinach further increases the nutrient density because it’s a great source of vitamins A, C, and folic acid.

When experimenting with recipes for the newsletter, I tend to “under season” as it’s always easier to add more but difficult to correct when you add too much. Notwithstanding the incredibly powerful clove of garlic, I went easy on the cumin. You may wish to start with just a 1/4 teaspoon and adjust as needed. I also suggest saving the fluid from the can of chickpeas (aquafaba). If you wish to “thin out” the hummus, you can add small amounts of this “bean juice” until desired consistency is achieved. I also elected to use almond butter instead of tahini, (because I didn’t have any on hand) which is traditionally used. I was quite happy with the substitution. It’s fun to experiment!

Chickpea Spinach Hummus

I 398 ml  (13.5 oz) can of chickpeas – rinsed (reserve chickpea aquafaba “bean water” to thin out hummus if needed)
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup almond butter or tahini
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4  – 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic

Add salt, garlic and cumin to bowl of processor. Pulse until garlic is minced. Add chickpeas and pulse. Add almond butter and lemon juice and pulse again. With processor running, add olive oil in a thin stream until well incorporated. You will likely need to stop and scrape down sides periodically. If hummus is too dry, add a little “bean water” (aquafaba) until desired consistency is achieved.
Enjoy as a dip with veggies and crackers, or use as a spread for your favourite wrap or sandwich. Enjoy this fibre-rich, mineral-rich, protein-rich, plant-based spread!