Welcome to Day 2 of
Thanksgiving Week! Today is all about the appetizer part of the meal. If your
family is like mine, the big feast won’t be ready until later in the evening
and you’re going to need something to satisfy your hungry guests while they
wait. But since your oven is likely to be occupied by the turkey or other
dishes, you’ll want an appetizer that doesn’t require any heating, and better
yet, one that can be made the day before. The solution? Hummus!
I love making hummus
because it’s cheap, easy, healthy, and there are so many different flavours to
try! Beet hummus would be a gorgeous addition to your table,
but if you want something that feels a little more “Thanksgiving-y”, why not
try out this spicy pumpkin hummus! Not only does it have a nice fall flavour,
but it’s also a great way to use up some of the leftover pumpkin you’ll have
after making your pumpkin pie. And the best part is that you can whip this up
the day before Thanksgiving and keep it in the fridge, so you don’t even have
to worry about the appetizer on the big day.
This hummus is really
tasty, with the perfect hint of spice to give your tastebuds a kick, but feel
free to add more cayenne pepper if you want it even spicier – as with any
hummus recipe, it’s important to keep taste-testing until you get the flavour
you like!
The addition of
pumpkin isn’t very detectable taste-wise, but the pumpkin did give the hummus a
nice orange-ish colour and a really creamy and smooth texture. If you wanted a
stronger pumpkin flavour, you could probably try adding more pumpkin and even
playing around with the spices a bit - instead of a spicy version you could try
using pumpkin pie spices for a totally different version - I haven't tested
this myself but if you do, let me know how it works out!
I served this with
homemade tortilla chips (recipe below), but it would also be great served with
pita chips, carrots, or your other favourite dipper. And if you come back here
for Day 3 of Thanksgiving Week tomorrow, you’ll find a bread recipe that would
go great with this hummus!
Also be sure to check
out today’s Thanksgiving recipe over at Vanilla & Spice: creamy, comforting
curried
pumpkin cauliflower soup!
Spicy Pumpkin Hummus
Makes about 2 ½ cups of hummus
Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas,
rinsed and drained
3 garlic cloves,
minced
3 tablespoons lemon
juice
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup canned pure
pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
pepper or to taste
3 tablespoons olive
oil
Directions:
Place chickpeas,
garlic cloves, lemon juice, water, and tahini in a food processor and blend
until smooth. Add pumpkin and seasonings and blend until well incorporated.
With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until blended.
Taste, and adjust any
seasonings to your taste (I added a bit more lemon juice, salt, and cayenne).
Optional Crackers to Serve with the Hummus:
Flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Garam masala, cumin,
salt
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut desired amount of tortillas into chip-sized triangles. Lay in a single
layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Spray with cooking spray
and sprinkle the tops with the seasonings. Bake until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes.
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For other Thanksgiving appetizer ideas, check
out these links:
Savory pumpkin & sage gougères from Cookin
Canuck
