Roasted Carrot Hummus & Crackers

Hummus -  the hero of any platter. It can perk up carrots and celery sticks, make a boring old sandwich a gourmet delight or be simply eaten with your favourite cracker. Did we mention we now stock almond & flax crackers in-stores and online too? Check them out here - they're like a delicious savoury brioche in crunchy cracker form.

We usually make this hummus batch on a Sunday and combine it with roasting extra carrots to make this Millet, Harissa & Roasted Carrot Salad for dinner. It's also great with quinoa in replacement of millet.

Makes approx. 700g of hummus

Ingredients:

Hummus:
1 C dried chickpeas
3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp baking soda (use if peeling chickpea skin off)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ C tahini
4-5 Tbsp aquafaba (drained chickpea water)
½ tsp salt
Juice 2 lemons

Optional Toppings:
Extra virgin olive oil*, to drizzle on top
¼ C pine nuts
¼ C sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 

To serve with:
Almond & flax crackers

Method:

Soak dried chickpeas in a large bowl of water overnight.

The next day, drain your chickpeas then add to a large pot with boiling water so it’s covering the chickpeas with about 5cm of water above. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer uncovered for 1 ½ - 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Prepare a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Peel and chop your carrots in half lengthways so you have evenly sized sticks. Place carrots on your baking tray and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for around 35 minutes, or until tender, turning carrots over half way through. Once roasted, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Once your chickpeas are cooked (they should be soft), reserve a little chickpea water and set aside. Drain, then add back to your bowl and cover the chickpeas with warm water and 1 tsp baking soda. Leave for a few minutes and then rub to discard skins. We recommend doing this step for a creamier hummus but you can skip this step if you wish.

Drain the chickpeas and add to your food processor. Keep the food processor running until you have a thick, smooth paste. You may need to scrape down the sides half way through. While the food processor is running, in the top funnel, add the roasted carrots, finely chopped garlic, tahini, salt and lemon juice. Continue running for around 3-4 minutes. Add a little aquafaba until you reach the desired consistency.

Spoon the hummus into a bowl or container and keep in the fridge. When serving, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top and sprinkle with pine nuts and sunflower seeds. Best served with almond and flax crackers to dip in.

It should keep in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. It also freezes well.

*Item not available online but is available in your local GoodFor store.

Photography by Sarah aka @thesaarahproject.

Printable recipe PDF here.