So quick and so easy a recipe, it is a great healthy snack and a great starter to an evening dinner with friends. Hummus traditionally a combination of pureed chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans, sesame paste called tahini, garlic, and lemon. I usually use some sour cream or plain yogurt just to lighten it up. It makes it smooth and creamy, goes well with some warmed up pita or even a nice bread toasted and crackers of any sort.
I remember a party where we made an appetizer of cucumber slices with a nice dollop of homemade hummus on top. These were a hit and the tray was emptied in minutes. I guess our creativity is our canvas and there are so many ideas in how to make and use hummus, but also respecting the traditions of culture that are origins for great recipes and beautiful family stories is important. Speaking of creativity and also inspired by Alison from Food by Mars who created a gorgeous baba ganoush, I created a hummus of grilled eggplant slices and tahini, sour cream, roasted garlic and some kalamata olives.
I love being outdoors which is why spring and summer, and even a beautiful fall, are my favorites of the seasons. Today was beautiful, sunny, warm with a slight breeze, perfect day to be grilling some beautiful organic eggplants from our local Farmers' Market. The eggplant slices, marinated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, then nicely charred and caramelized, will add such a unique and delicious flavor to the hummus, along with the sweetness of the roasted garlic.
Into a food processor they go with a good drizzling of extra virgin olive oil, a a couple of spoonfuls of tahini, some creamy sour cream, kalamata olives, some fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt, and it is as simple at that.
Pita warming on the barbecue to be the partner in the melodic dance of flavor, a little color of fresh chopped parsley and Spanish paprika added to beautify this dish and there you have it: Grilled Eggplant and Olive Hummus. Mmmmmmmm, it tastes wonderful; rich in flavor, pita nice and warm just slightly crisp, what a great appetizer.
Next time you're at the supermarket and you want to reach for an already made hummus, think of this recipe and go to the produce section and get started, you may never get store bought hummus again.
Happy Eating!
Print
Grilled Eggplant and Olive Hummus
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups of hummus 1x
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplants sliced into thin rounds
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoons of tahini
- 3 tablespoons of sour cream
- ¼ cup of kalamata olives pitted
- 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- pinch of paprika
- 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon cracked sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 pieces of small pitas
Instructions
- Take eggplant rounds and put into a large bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, ½ tablespoon of sea salt, and ½ tablespoon of black pepper, toss well and let marinate for about 10 minutes.
- Heat up barbecue to about 400° F, place a grill sheet on grill and heat for about 10 minutes.
- Place eggplant and whole garlic on the grill sheet and cook for about 5 - 8 minutes a side till nice grill marks form.
- Place back in bowl with marinade oil and toss once more.
- Turn off barbecue and put some pita bread on the grill just to warm it a bit.
- In a food processor toss in eggplant, grilled garlic, remaining olive oil, sour cream, tahini, salt and pepper and last of all the kalamata olives.
- Process till it becomes nice and smooth, add last remaining piece of raw garlic and just a squeeze of lemon juice, and pulse once more ensuring the garlic is well blended and mixed with the puree.
- Place Hummus in a bowl, dust with some paprika and fresh chopped parsley.
- Take pita off grill and cut into wedges and place on side of bowl.
- Now it's time to taste. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 servings
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Loreto, I adore eggplant in all forms, especially in baba ganoush, and this recipe is perfect for me! Can't wait to make it to snack on while watching football on the weekends. Thanks for making it (and posting it) 🙂 Hope you guys had a wonderful time in Italy.
Thanks Karrie, we can't say it enough how grateful and gratifying it is to have great comments like yours. Like you we also love eggplant and you are on the right track having it as a snack while watching some sports especially during those nail biting moments when your team is so close to winning and instead of some mundane nails, a rich creamy hummus. What more can I say? As far as our trip we are suffering Mediterranean withdrawal both from climate change to jet lag. The trip was amazing as usual and the food, well, going to miss the fresh seafood boo hoo! it is my party and I can cry if I want to! lol. You gotta come to Italy to fully understand, hope to see you there soon. Take care, happy cooking!
Jackie @ supermancooks says
uh, Y-U-M!!!! This looks amazing!! I love all forms of hummus and baba ganoush (Keith not so much). This inspires me to make a big bowl for myself!!
Thank you so much for your comments we truly enjoy reading them and replying, for what would the world be like if we didn't communicate, utter desolation! I believe that eggplant is among the most undervalued vegetables, however we can't expect that everyone likes what we like, and for you it is even better. Enjoy your big bowl, lol!
Michelle @ My California Kitchen says
This is gorgeous and looks so tasty! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for your comment! This hummus is really good. The smokiness of the grilled eggplant and garlic combined with the soothing creaminess of the tahini and sour cream, some herb and spices to give it a kick, so so good. Try this recipe and even try your own flavor ideas, gotta love creativity! Happy dipping!