You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t love, or at least, like, hummus. In fact, I just posted a poll yesterday on my Facebook page and IG page asking people to choose between hummus and guacamole, and while guacamole seemed to slightly dominate, most had a very tough time choosing between the two.

Hummus might be a no-brainer for most, but I’ve certainly had some lackluster bland, dry or too soupy and texturally challenged examples too.  Recently, I went to a vegetarian restaurant in NYC which had the creamiest, most authentic tasting hummus I’ve had in years, which led me to want to make my own versions.

As a chef, I tend to get bored with plain or regular versions so I’m always experimenting with flavor combinations. In fact, flavor combinations is my specialty, as I’m also a wine lover and work on pairing wines with plant based foods on a daily basis.

So today, I’m offering up three versions which was inspired by the bounty of the summer produce at the local farmer market.  As much as possible I try to cook with the season and utilize produce from local farms and sources, you will hear me talk a lot about that in upcoming blog posts. One of the dips is a pea and mint hummus, and while peas are in season in the spring, I used frozen peas for this one, which works just as well.

Secondly, a carrot hummus with harissa came to mind when I saw these gorgeous bunches of carrot at the market and biting into one, I just wanted all of that sweetness in a most concentrated form as possible. The harissa balances the sweetness of the carrots perfectly.

Lastly, I came up with a beet hummus that I flavored with cumin and coriander. The earthiness of both the beets and spices will leave you smiling (hopefully).

Hummus doesn’t have to serve as just dip. Here are some other creative uses for this wonderful dish:

GREEN AND GLORIOUS PEA & MINT HUMMUS

1 x 15 oz can (approx 400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups green peas, defrosted if using frozen
3 tbsp tahini
2 cloves of garlic
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional but does make it extra creamy)
handful of mint leaves
salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Serve with a fresh mint spring and some crackers, toasted pita bread or cut up veggies.

CARROT HARISSA HUMMUS

1 x 15 oz can chickpeas (about 400 g), drained and rinsed
12 ounces (350 grams) carrots, peeled, cooked and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp tahini
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp harissa paste (or 2, depending on how spicy you want it)
salt, pepper to taste
about 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients through salt and pepper and puree – pour in the extra virgin olive oil while the mixture is processing. Taste for seasoning and serve with your favorite flatbreads and veggies.

CUMIN SCENTED BEET HUMMUS

about 2 lbs (1 kg) small red beets, washed
1 x 15 oz can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 large garlic cloves
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
3 tbsp tahini
salt, pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celcius). Wrap the beets in foil, drizzle a little olive oil and a generous amount of kosher or sea salt. I like to add a spring or two of fresh thyme in there as well. Bake in oven for about 1 hour until beets come out soft when pierced with a knife.

Let cool on a rack and then peel the beets, roughly chop them and add to a food processor along with all the other ingredients.  Process until smooth and serve as a dip – I also love spreading it on bread or serving it as a side to any main dish.