I know, another hummus recipe, I’m so basic. This is a vegetarian take on the chicken salad one I posted last week and don’t complain because hummus is life and you can never have too much!

The sweet slow roasted tomatoes are an absolute dream with the creamy dreamy hummus. Mop it up with pita bread and call it lunch or serve as part of a larger vegetarian spread as I plan to tonight! I think I’m going to do a lentil salad to go with this, and load it with lightly pickled cabbage, nuts and currants. Yummmm. Maybe some zucchini fritters and yoghurt sauce too depending on how much time I have!

I’m loving all the new produce to choose from at the greengrocer at the moment, I always get a bit over what’s in season by the time the season is ending and the earth responds in tune with me by changing it up right when I need it most. It’s still a little early for tomatoes but if you can get your hands on some seet juicy ones this recipe is a winner, that said it’s also a pretty great way of injecting flavour into slightly lacklustre tomatoes.

This simple recipe needs the use of really good quality extra virgin olive oil to make the ingredients sing. Use a full bodied variety.

Serves 2, or more as part of a mezze spread.

Ingredients

1 x punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic

2 tsps extra virgin olive oil ( +more for serving)

1/4 cup roughly chopped flat leave parsley

1/2 cup loosely pack mint leaves (Big ones should be chopped)

2 Tbs spring onion, finely sliced

1 Tbs lemon zest

1 Tbs lemon Juice

1tsp finely chopped chilli (remove seeds to decrease heat)

2 Tbs pomegranate aerils.

Hummus

1x 400g cans of chickpeas

1/4 cup tahini

juice of  1 lemon

1/2 tsp salt

2 cubes of ice

30-50ml chilled water

Directions

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsisu.

Line a tray with baking paper. In a medium bowl toss the tomatoes with salt pepper and olive oil then spread in a single layer on the prepared tray add garlic cloves. Roast for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes have collapsed and become somewaht sticky. At the 20 minute mark remove the garlic and use in the hummus below.

Hummus:  Shell the chickpeas by squeezing them from their skin and discarding the skin (optional). Place the chickpeas and roasted garlic (popped from it’s skin) in a food processor and process for 2 minutes or until it looks like ‘meal’ ad the tahini, lemon juice and salt an then process for 3-5 minutes or until smooth. Check seasoning and adjust lemon garlic, salt and tahini as needed. With the machine running add the ice and 30ml water, continue to process for another 3-5 minutes or until very smooth and silky. Add more water if needed. Set aside.

Make the rest of the tomato salad by combining the herbs, chilli, pomegranate, lemon zest and spring onion in a bowl. Toss gently to combine with the warm tomatoes. Dress with lemon juice and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pile the hummus on to a plate and spread, top with the tomato salad and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Dig in.

HH. x