Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I've tried so many variations of hummus in my life.

White bean; chickpea with or without tahini; with anchovies; recently pumpkin; and red bell pepper.

This version is my favorite, and reminds me of Romesco sauce, that wonderful red pepper and almond dip from Spain.

My friend Stephanie recently made a delicious batch for a dinner party, and I swear, I hogged the whole bowl and dipped carrots in it all night!

Since I had leftover homemade tahini in the freezer from this recipe, I figured why not make this red pepper version.

You can cheat and use a jar of roasted peppers if you like, but I am not a fan of the jarred variety. They have a weird acidic aftertaste to me.
I can always tell when a restaurant uses canned or jarred peppers.

Roast your own peppers, it takes very little skill or time and they last all week in the fridge!

Here is my easy recipe.

This recipe makes a good amount, so you can have some all week!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (adapted from Inspired Taste):

2 whole red bell peppers, roasted (substitute about 3/4 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers, if you must)
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup tahini
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper or tabasco (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste

Roast and peel the red peppers, click here for easy recipe (you can do this a few days in advance).

Add all the ingredients in a food processor and whiz a few times until you get a nice, creamy consistency.

Season with salt & pepper (I also used a few dashes of tabasco) to taste.
If the mixture is too thick, then add a tablespoon or two of water to the hummus and whiz again.

Garnish with some chopped roasted red pepper and fresh cilantro or parsley.

Can be kept in the fridge for about a week.

Enjoy!