Spicy Thai Hummus

I love hummus. It’s easy to make, cheap and packed with protein. I also love the spicy, citrusy and rich flavors that define thai cuisine. Could these two things possibly taste good together? This weekend, I got to work figuring it all out. I paired the plain yet noble chickpea with the vibrant and unique flavors of sriracha, coconut oil and cilantro, among other ingredients, with a fantastic outcome. I’ve made classic hummus a zillion times, but strayed far away from my usual course by replacing:

• the olive oil with a blend of peanut, coconut and sesame oils;
• the paprika with some sriracha;
• the tahini with chunky peanut butter;
• the salt with soy sauce; and
• the lemon juice with lime zest.

To build upon and round out these flavors, I introduced lemongrass, fresh ginger and cilantro. Rice crackers (instead of pita bread) were a perfect vehicle for scooping up this flavorful, unique and delicate hummus.

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SPICY THAI HUMMUS

Author olivesfordinner.com

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 lemongrass heart, chopped
• 10 sprigs of fresh cilantro, stems included, roughly chopped
• zest of one lime
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 piece of fresh ginger (about the size of your pinkie finger), chopped
• 4 TB chunky peanut butter
• 1 TB organic, raw virgin coconut oil
• 1/8 cup peanut oil
• 1/8 cup toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 TB sriracha, plus more to taste
• water to thin out as needed

to serve

• chopped peanuts
• fresh cilantro sprigs
• thinly sliced shallots
• crushed red pepper
• sriracha

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor, except for the water. Combine well. Start by adding in 1 TB of water, and keep adding more until a desired consistency is achieved.
2. Sprinkle peanuts, shallots, cilantro springs and crushed red pepper over the top. Serve at room temperature with sriracha and rice crackers.