Roasted Fennel Hummus
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.This creamy, dreamy hummus is perfect for a veggie or chip dip, a sandwich spread, or, my personal favorite, to eat alongside roasted meat, veggies, and rice. It’s pretty simple to make, keeps in the fridge great for up to a week, and it’s so delicious. What more could you want?
Recipe Notes
Does it taste like licorice?: If you’re a licorice hater like half the population of America, you can rest easy knowing that with this recipe, you won’t feel like you mixed melted candy into your hummus. When roasted, fennel bulb takes on a sweet, mild, caramelized flavor, almost like caramelized onions. It combines deliciously with the creamy tahini and savory chickpeas. Any licorice-y flavor in this mostly comes from the fennel fronds sprinkled across the top, which you can certainly omit if it’s not your thing.
Why the baking soda?: Chickpea skins contain a fiber called pectin. When you add baking soda to their cooking water, it becomes more alkaline, which breaks down the pectin in the skins and makes them softer, creating a much easier-to-blend chickpea and therefore a creamier hummus at the end of the day. Yum!
Why blend in stages?: Blending the hummus in stages (first the tahini and lime, then half the chickpeas, then everything else) has two purposes. Firstly, blending the tahini with the lime juice initially before adding the other ingredients helps to sort of whip the tahini, giving the final product a lighter, airier, creamier texture, which I’m all about. Secondly, it just ensures that everything gets blended evenly with no chunks of chickpea, and gives you a chance to scrape down the blender.
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
If you’re feeling confident in your cooking skills and want to skip the walk-through, click here.
Step 1:
Roast Fennel
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut a medium bulb of fennel (about ½ pound, 4-6 inches in diameter) into 1-inch pieces. Save the fronds for garnish.
Toss with a light drizzle of olive oil (about a tablespoon) and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and spread the chopped fennel evenly over the baking sheet.
Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring and flipping pieces halfway through until browned and fork tender.
Set aside to cool.
Step 2:
Boil Chickpeas
Thoroughly rinse a 15-ounce can of chickpeas.
Add to a medium-sized pot with ¾ teaspoon baking soda.
Add enough water to just cover the chickpeas.
Bring pot of chickpeas to a boil over medium-high heat.
Turn heat down to medium and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are soft (about 10 minutes).
Drain and set aside.
Step 3:
Blend Hummus
To a blender or food processor, add 3 tablespoons of well-stirred tahini and the juice of one fresh lime.
Process for 1 minute.
Scrape down the sides of the blender/processor and add about half the chickpeas, then blend for another minute.
Scrape down the sides again and add remaining chickpeas, 2 cloves of garlic, the roasted fennel, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend for one more minute.
Scrape the sides of the blender. If the hummus is not fully smooth, add 1 tablespoon of cold water and blend for another minute. If still not fully smooth, continue adding tablespoons of water and blending for another minute after each until the hummus reaches the desired consistency.
Step 4:
Garnish and Serve
Scrape the finished hummus into a bowl and top with chopped fennel fronds and drizzle of olive oil to garnish. Serve with chopped vegetables, apples, chips, crackers, or pita bread. Enjoy!
Roasted Fennel Hummus
Servings: 4 Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy-medium
Ingredients
1 15-oz can chickpeas
1 medium fennel bulb (about ½ pound, 4-6 inches in diameter)
¾ tsp. baking soda
Juice of one fresh lime
3 TBS. tahini
1 TBS. olive oil, plus more for roasting and garnish
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS. chopped fennel greens
Directions
Step 1: Roast Fennel
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut fennel bulb into 1-inch pieces, saving the fronds for garnish. Toss with a light drizzle of olive oil (about a tablespoon) and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and spread the chopped fennel evenly over the baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring and flipping pieces halfway through until browned and fork tender. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Boil Chickpeas
Thoroughly rinse chickpeas. Add to a medium-sized pot with baking soda. Add enough water to just cover the chickpeas. Bring pot of chickpeas to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are soft (about 10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Step 3: Blend Hummus
To a blender or food processor, add tahini and fresh lime juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the blender/processor and add about half the chickpeas, then blend for another minute. Scrape down the sides again and add remaining chickpeas, garlic, the roasted fennel, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend for one more minute. Scrape the sides of the blender. If the hummus is not fully smooth, add 1 tablespoon of cold water and blend for another minute. If still not fully smooth, continue adding tablespoons of water and blending for another minute after each until the hummus reaches the desired consistency.
Step 4: Garnish and Serve
Scrape the finished hummus into a bowl and top with chopped fennel fronds and drizzle of olive oil to garnish. Serve with chopped vegetables, apples, chips, crackers, or pita bread. Enjoy!