I first tried this dish when I was looking for an interesting vegan option to put on my menus. While my restaurants were certainly vegetarian/vegan friendly, the focus of the menu was anything but. I wanted to present some options that were more than the usual, but I kept coming back to hummus, because it is so delicious. So I tried a few different ways to make it, and this one was a winner. Any type of thick-skinned autumn squash will do in this recipe. My favorites are kabocha, butternut, Hubbard, and regular old pumpkin. I prefer to serve this with baguette slices, but it's also good with toasted pita bread triangles or carrot and celery sticks.
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 8
Step 1
Place the entire squash in the embers of a medium charcoal and wood fire after you have finished cooking another meal, or set up a small charcoal fire, place the squash on the grill grate rack directly above it, and cover the grill. The squash, depending on its size, will cook in 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. It is done when the skin is charred and the squash deflates a little with light pressure. Let it cool for 20 minutes.
Step 2
Cut the squash in half, then scoop out and discard the seeds, being careful not to remove too much of the flesh when you do this. Remove the flesh from the skin—scrape right down to the skin, because that is where all the sweet, awesome smoke flavor is! If some charred flakes get mixed in, that's fine.
Step 3
Place the flesh in a food processor. Add the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic if using. Purée the mixture until it is relatively smooth but there are still a few chunks. Season with a few pinches of salt and then, with the machine running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. The mixture will begin to change color as the olive oil is incorporated. After you have added about 1 cup of the oil, stop the machine, scrape down the side, and taste the hummus. If you think it needs a little more salt, then go ahead and add it. The mixture should be thick at this point, close to a mayonnaise in texture. Turn the machine back on and add another cup of oil, then taste again. The hummus should have a balanced, sweet-sour-smoky-rich flavor. If it seems not quite right, or too thick, continue to add as much of the remaining oil as you need to get the right consistency.
Step 4
This is best if it is left to chill for a couple of hours before serving, but it can be served right away. Before presenting it to your guests, check the flavor balance one more time and adjust if necessary with more salt and/or lemon juice.
Step 5
Spoon the hummus into a large bowl and garnish it with a few gratings of nutmeg using a Microplane or nutmeg grater and a pinch of the pepper. Serve with baguette slices.
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Reviews (5)
Back to Top虽然我严重偏离配方,切割down the oil to 1 half cup of grape seed oil (possible if you process the ingredients hot) and only spicing with salt, pepper and paprika, this is a real winner! I also added half a red pepper that I roasted alongside the squash. I am currently a vegan with gout. Chick Peas and lentils are, unfortunately, not items I can eat anymore. A shame considering they were staples in my diet. Thank you so much for this inspiring recipe, it will be ever present in my fridge and social gatherings!
ir_fou
San Diego, CA
3/17/2017
how many calories ( with all that oil)?
phoghat
Mexico
10/22/2016
I so agree with A Cook From Germany. Once you leave out an essential ingredient that makes a dish what it is -- in this case, the chickpeas that make hummus, "hummus" -- you no longer have that dish. Seems to me this trend to call a dish something it isn't was started by chefs/restauranteurs who want to induce their patrons to try a dish by associating it with something popular. Someone might not try Ember-Roasted Squash Spread (or dip) as an appetizer. But since hummus is popular and sells well, why not stick the hummus name on it and reel in the unwary? This isn't too far removed from those who cut rounds out of a firm white fish and sell them as scallops. If a chef is truly creative, surely s/he can come up with an appealing name that would make people want to try the dish. If not, at least stop being misleading and let the dish stand on its own merits.
lizzytish2
10/2/2015
I love Hummus a lot I like to make all kinds of different flavors
veggietress
Longbeach California
6/9/2015
This dish sounds good, but, as "Hummus" is the Arabic word for 'chickpeas', calling it hummus is a bit of a stretch! 'Ember-roasted squash dip' would be better
Anonymous
Germany
5/29/2013
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