Hummus is a delicious plant-based dip that first emerged from the middle east. With growing awareness of health and wellness it has rapidly gained popularity in other parts of the world too, (especially in our house!).

In addition to regular hummus ingredients, my variation of the traditional version brings in the tantalising sweetness of roasted sweet pepper. It gives an awesome combination of beneficial nutrients too…

Sesame seeds (pureed – in the form of tahini) are rich in healthy fats and minerals.

(pureed – in the form of tahini) are rich in healthy fats and minerals. Chickpeas (garbonzo beans) are high in protein as well as having plentiful manganese, copper, phosphorus, iron and folic acid.

(garbonzo beans) are high in protein as well as having plentiful manganese, copper, phosphorus, iron and folic acid. Sweet pepper has mega levels of vitamin C.

has mega levels of vitamin C. Lemon and garlic both offer powerful anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and immune boosting properties.

I was interested in creating a really appetizing version of hummus – one where the flavours alchemically combine to provide a wonderful infusion of deliciousness. So, I decided to roast the sweet pepper and garlic, since roasting certainly unleashes an incredible fullness of these flavoursome foods.

Verdict: Worked absolute wonders and I am delighted to share this new recipe…

Serving suggestions:

This serves well…

with salad

in a sandwich

on crackers

as a veggie dip

with baked potatoes or

coconut-sweet-potatoes

It’s pretty versatile and should keep in the fridge for over a week.

I like to make a batch of pates and dips to enjoy throughout the week. Gotta make plenty in my house though as they vanish pretty quickly!

Another great thing – this hummus freezes nicely too.

Ok, let’s make this together…

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Yield: 4 big portions Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes A tasty hummus variation with roasted garlic and sweet red pepper. Perfect with salad or potato wedges. Print Ingredients 2 large sweet red bell peppers

2 large cloves of garlic

2 heaped tablespoons of tahini

1 tin (240g drained or 1½ cups) tinned chickpeas

2 lemons

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt Instructions De-seed, de-stalk and slice your peppers in half or quarters. Next: roast the sweet pepper and garlic in a hot oven... To do this, keep the garlic in its skin and place on an oven tray along with the pepper and place in a pre-heated oven (gas mark 7/425°F/220°C should work fine). Roast garlic for up to 10 minutes and the pepper for about 15-20 minutes (or until the pepper is easy to pierce). No need to let the pepper char. Note: I find it easier to roast this ahead of time - get on with something else - and then set them out to cool for a little while before adding to the rest of the ingredients. It's best to wait until the garlic cools down a little before you pop it out of it's skin. Gently chop off the top; then squeeze out the fleshy garlic and place in a jug ready to blend with everything else. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Juice lemon and discard the skin. Add all ingredients to a jug and blend until you reached your desired consistency. Chill in the fridge before serving.

For more healthy salads, pates and dips visit my ‘Salads & Dips’ page.

Enjoy!

Trinity

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