Ready for a delicious hummus you can bring as an appetizer or to complement your meal with? Try this incredible combination of spinach and artichoke next time you feel like having hummus!
This delicious hummus is gluten free, dairy free and vegan!
Making hummus from scratch
There are dozens of choices for store bought hummus these days! It’s so tempting to pick one up from the store BUT if you can make your own hummus if you’ve got 20 minutes! No artificial ingredients and the satisfaction that you made your own is so worth the effort!
Dry Garbanzo beans or canned?
That is the question! I used to use canned for everything until I watched the Netflix documentary on Plastic Oceans. I had zero idea that tin cans were lined with plastic. So I buy them in bulk. I soak them for a few hours or overnight and then cook them until tender! It’s healthier and more economical!
But if I don’t have time, I will run to the store and grab a can in a pinch!
Why do I need to add baking soda?
Simply put, baking soda will help soften your chickpeas. I drop 1/2 tsp to my water to soften the skin of garbanzo beans and this helps them absorb the water, thereby softening them! I haven’t tried it for other beans but I’m sure it works the same!
What is in this recipe?
Chickpeas: If you’re making a hummus, there is usually chickpeas involved. I’ve made other dips with white beans and such but they’re not considered hummus then.
Tahini: I am not really a fan of tahini except in hummus! You can’t really taste it and it brings the flavours alive. I try to find a hummus that’s pretty creamy to start with.
Fresh garlic: I think it’s just as important as tahini! Garlic really gives the hummus a bit of a bite and adds so much depth with its flavour. You could roast it to give it an extra smoky flavour blast!
Lemon juice: Please try to use fresh. I know we have lemon juice bottled when we need it in a pinch but using fresh will really make this hummus shine! You could also roast the lemon as well and squeeze the juice or even use a bit of the zest from the skin! It truly brightens up the entire dish!
smoked paprika: It adds to the smokiness of this dip.
artichoke: It may sound so strange to put it in this recipe but it taste just SO GOOD! I use the ones found in a jar that’s been marinated. I also use some of the liquid to drizzle inside the food processor as well as afterwards to drizzle on top! It adds a lot of flavour!
spinach: Spinach goes hand in hand with artichoke. I barely tasted it with the artichoke being the strong flavour here, but you can omit it if you like!
Olive oil: Olive oil makes the hummus rich and just rounds out all the flavours.
Why artichokes?
Artichokes are chock full of nutrients like vitamin C, iron and potassium. It’s also a great source of protein!
Why spinach?
What other ingredients can I use to substitute?
- sun-dried tomatoes
- more garlic
- pumpkin
- roasted carrot
- roasted red pepper
More tricks to making it smooth and creamy?
Cold water: I’ve also added cold water/ice cubes to the food processor. Think ice cream texture – whipped, soft and airy. I’ve done the mistake where I didn’t run the food processor for long and there were chunks of ice cubes inside. Make sure you blend it for a few minutes!
Remove the skins: I like to remove the skin for two reasons. One it does result in a creamier texture for sure! I find the skins make it a bit more textured and bulkier. The second reason is because I find that you may get more bloated if you have the skin there. I believe the skin is a huge contributor to gas and bloating!
What about the garnishes?
My go to toppings are roasted chickpeas, sprinkled paprika and toasted pine nuts!
You can add pita chips, edible flowers, chopped parsley, thyme, and olives as other possibilities! An extra drizzle of olive oil wouldn’t hurt either!
Creamy Spinach Artichoke Hummus Dip
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups chickpeas from a can or cooked from dry
- 1/2 cup artichokes halves marinated, from a jar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tsp paprika smoked
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 cup baby spinach
- 1 tbsp artichoke liquid from jar
Instructions
- If you're cooking your chickpeas from scratch, all your spices, lemon, onion and garlic clove and cook until tender. Add the 1/2 tsp of baking soda towards the end
- if you're using canned chickpeas, add them into a small pot with water covering the chickpeas. Add in your baking soda and cook for 10 minutes.
- In a food processor, add in all your ingredients except spinach
- Blend all your ingredients until smooth. Taste for salt, lemon
- Add in your spinach and pulse 4 times. If you want it to be blended completely then keep blending. If you like the chunky spinach look pulse less.
Nutrition
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Omigosh….this recipe is heavenly! I haven’t made home-made hummus in a long time but I LOVE artichokes, so I had to give this one a try. I used canned chickpeas. I will be making it again!