Recipes

Dips & Spreads

Raw Veggies & Hummus Platter (Chickpea and Garlic Spread)

I'm always looking for fun ways to enjoy an assortment of raw vegetables. Instead of dipping the veggies in the usual ranch dressing, try a dip with an ethnic twist -- hummus.

Ingredients:

• 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (about 1 1/2 cups drained)
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt (add more if desired)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini paste (sesame butter, made from ground sesame seeds)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 4 green onions, finely chopped, the white and part of the green
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• Pepper to taste
• Assorted vegetables:
  2 cups broccoli florets (raw, or lightly cooked then cooled)
  2 cups cauliflower florets (raw or lightly cooked then cooled)
  2 cups green beans (lightly cooked and cooled)

Preparation:
1. In a colander, drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Place them in a food processor. Add the garlic, yogurt, salt if desired, lemon juice, tahini, and parsley.
2. Pulse mixture in the food processor, scraping sides often with the spatula, until smooth. Stir in green onions and red bell pepper, and spoon into serving bowl.
3. Make a platter by setting the bowl of hummus in the center of a large plate. Surround the bowl with the assorted vegetables.

Note: You can make this without a food processor. Just mash the garbanzo beans, garlic, yogurt, and salt (if desired) with a potato masher until fairly smooth. With a spoon, beat in the lemon juice a few tablespoons at a time. Slowly beat in the tahini and parsley, then onions and red bell pepper.

Yield:
6 servings (1/4 cup of hummus and 1 cup of raw vegetables per serving)

Nutritional Information:
Per serving (if using the above suggested assorted vegetables): 176 calories, 9 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (1.1 g saturated fat, 2.5 g monounsaturated fat, 3.2 g polyunsaturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 30 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 35%.

©2003-2006 WebMD Inc.

Last Editorial Review: 2/14/2006

Printer-Friendly Format

|

Email to a Friend