Good afternoon friends! I hope you are enjoying your weekends (or what’s left of them). With the grass growing and trees budding, it has been absolutely beautiful here in Colorado. I am so thankful for that. I’m almost as thankful for this weather as I am for this delicious roasted garlic hummus with crispy pastrami (which I will get into in a sec). Zach and I like to keep our weekends pretty low-key. On Fridays, we normally go out. This usually consists of a trip to a brewery followed by dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Saturdays are normally spent relaxing. We try not to do anything work-related. When Saturday night rolls around, we usually do a fun recipe(s) for date night-in. This usually consists of something that we would normally not eat during the week, like a piece of halibut in a thai broth (coming soon) or thinly sliced carpaccio with a 25-year aged balsamic vinegar and the best EVOO money can buy. As much as I love eating out, I cherish these Saturday nights more than anything in the world. It also helps in getting those creative juices flowing! This roasted garlic hummus with crispy pastrami was created during one of these much-loved date night-ins.
I love hummus. Regular hummus. Roasted red pepper hummus. Avocado hummus. Roasted garlic hummus. You name a style of hummus, and I’m pretty sure I’ve loved it at some point in my life. What I love most about hummus is how creative you can get with it. It is such a simple, blank canvas where you can put your special little touch on it.
As much as I love what goes into hummus, I love more what goes on top. I’m all about the garnish. I’m a firm believe that you eat with your eyes first, and I usually try to achieve some beauty in everything that I make. Some people tell me (you know who you are) that I go a little too crazy with garnish, but the fact is that I love color and texture and an abundance of flavor.
This roasted garlic hummus is just as it sounds: a simple roasted garlic hummus with a touch of cayenne pepper. It’s simple. It has totally been done over and over and over again, but this is where the fun begins: the toppings. This roasted garlic hummus is topped with some of our favorite ingredients: pastrami that has been crisped up in a hot pan, lightly toasted pine nuts, toasted sesame seeds and fresh parsley. A sprinkle of poppy seeds, a dash of crushed red pepper and a drizzle of addicting EVOO finish the entire thing off. Sometimes I even top it with sriracha, but I won’t hold it against you if you don’t. ;)
Yup. There are totally 7-8 garnishes for this roasted garlic hummus. I can feel you judging me. Don’t be afraid.
Pair this roasted garlic hummus with an IPA. I love the way an IPA highlights the heat in this must-make appetizer. Have a wonderful weekend everyone! xo
Yields 12
15 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 30 ounces of canned garbanzo beans, drained (reserving the liquid) or dry garbanzo beans that have been soaked or quickly cooked (also reserving the liquid)
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, the good stuff (plus extra for drizzling)
- 4 slices deli-style pastrami
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon poppy seeds
- flatbread, naan, pita chips, assorted veggies (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the top off of your garlic, revealing the cloves but leaving the head in tact. Place the head of garlic (cut part facing up) in one of the molds of a 12-count muffin tin. Drizzle with olive oil and cover with foil. Roast the garlic for 30-35 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, release the cloves from the head by pressing the bottom until the cloves pop out. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your food processor, combine the garlic, garbanzo beans, 2-3 tablespoons of the liquid from the garbanzo beans, tahini, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Pulse the mixture 6-7 times to break up the beans and garlic. With the food processor running, pour in the extra virgin olive oil to your desired amount. I prefer my hummus on the oily side, but adjust this amount based on your personal preference. Continue to process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Scoop the hummus into a serving bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large griddle pan or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the sliced pastrami directly on the hot pan and cook until brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the pastrami and repeat for the other side. Remove from heat and transfer to a cutting board. Slice the pastrami into thin strips.
- Garnish your roasted garlic hummus with additional extra virgin olive oil, crispy pastrami, pine nuts, parsley, crushed red pepper, sesame seeds and poppy seeds.
- Serve the hummus along side flatbread, naan, pita chips and/or assorted veggies.
