Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Recipe

Hummus, which has long been a Middle Eastern staple, has made a huge impact in America, where it has become one of the most common dips you can buy or make. Its appeal lies in the fact that it's made with simple and clean ingredients and can be used in hundreds of ways. It's also highly adaptable, and this spicy roasted red pepper version gives the hummus a smoky and slightly sweet flavor with the added kick of Calabrian chiles. Roasting the peppers from scratch instead of using jarred ones makes a vast difference, because the high heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the peppers and blisters the skin, so you're left with an intensely charred flavor that you can't get from a jar. The other standout technique I'm using here is to boil the chickpeas with baking soda, which softens the chickpeas and loosens their skins, helping to deliver a very smooth-textured hummus.

I love to use the hummus as a dip with raw vegetables, crackers, or pita chips, but that is just the beginning of tasty ways to serve it. My favorite way to use it is on a grilled vegetable sandwich with zucchini, eggplant, and peppers on toasted sourdough bread. It's also delicious as a wrap spread, a bagel topper with lettuce and red onion, or layered on burgers or veggie burgers. It makes a great creamy base layer for a grain bowl and can be stirred into warm pasta. The options are endless.

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up medium red bell peppers, lemon, garlic, and fresh parsley. You can use curly or flat-leaf parsley as a garnish. Head to the dry goods area and grab canned chickpeas unless you like to make them from scratch. If you make them from scratch, you can omit the boiling with baking soda step since they will already be softer than if you use canned. You'll also need Calabrian chile paste and tahini. Then check your pantry for olive oil, baking soda, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Place the whole bell peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the skins are blistered and blackened in spots and the peppers have collapsed.

Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let them steam for 10 minutes.

Peel and discard the skins, stems, and seeds.

Blot the roasted peppers dry with a paper towel and set aside.

Add the chickpeas and baking soda to a medium pot and cover with water by 1 inch.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft. Drain the chickpeas.

Lay the chickpeas on a clean dishtowel or paper towels and pat and roll the chickpeas with another paper towel to loosen the skins. Discard the skins.

Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Calabrian chile paste, smoked paprika, salt, and cumin to a large food processor.

Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is very smooth.

Add two of the roasted peppers and blend for 1 minute more.

With the processor running, add 2 tablespoons of ice water and blend until the hummus is light and fluffy.

Chop the remaining roasted pepper.

Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and top it with the chopped roasted pepper and the parsley before serving.

• 3-Ingredient Roasted Garlic and Za'atar Potato Wedges Recipe
• DIY Viral Sprouts Sandwich Recipe
• Basic Steamed Artichokes Recipe
• Loaded Ground Beef Gyros Recipe
• Grilled Romaine and Corn Salad With Herby Mustard Dressing Recipe

If you are short on time, there are a few shortcuts you can make to speed up the hummus-making process. There are a few different ways to roast red peppers that take less time than the oven. You can char the peppers directly on your stove's gas burner, if you have one. It should only take about 10 minutes, but it is very hands-on. You can also char the peppers under the broiler, but they can blacken quickly, so you'll need to stay nearby. Additionally, for this method, you shouldn't use parchment paper shouldn't because it can catch fire. Whichever method you choose, you can make the roasted red peppers a day ahead of time and just refrigerate them unpeeled until you are ready to make the hummus. Of course, skipping the roasting altogether and using jarred roasted peppers is the quickest way. You may want to bump up the smoky spices to add back in more charred flavor.

Another shortcut is to skip the step of boiling the chickpeas. Instead you can add them to a microwave-safe bowl with water and baking soda and cook for 4 minutes to get the same effect. Or, skip this step and use the chickpeas as is. The hummus will be slightly less creamy but still very tasty. Many times, when making hummus, I use great northern beans or cannellini beans rather than chickpeas: They are both creamier beans and work great in hummus.

As the name implies, Calabrian chiles are grown in a region in Italy named Calabria. They are small red peppers that compare in heat to a jalapeño, with the addition of a fruity and floral flavor. They have a subtle smoky taste and a light fermented tang. You won't have much luck finding a fresh Calabrian chile unless you are in Calabria, and that goes for the whole dried peppers as well. You can sometimes find them whole, sitting jarred in olive oil, so you can cut them and use them as needed. The most common way to buy Calabrian chiles is in a paste form, where they are crushed and combined with olive oil, salt, and sometimes garlic.

There are many ways to use Calabrian chiles. They spice up any sauce or dressing. Try whisking them into a simple vinaigrette, stirring them into mayonnaise to spread on a sandwich, or mixing them into aioli sauce for a dip. Add a teaspoon to ranch dressing for a salad or blend some into a jarred or homemade marinara or pizza sauce to add some kick to your pasta or pizza. Whip some into a batch of ricotta or cream cheese for a flavorful bruschetta base or add a little to pesto for a delicious vegetable or seafood topper. A jar of Calabrian chile paste is a handy condiment to have in your fridge and can be used in so many ways.

• Smoked Queso (With No Smoker) Recipe
• 5-Cheese Artichoke Dip Recipe
• Homemade Double Truffle Aioli Recipe
• Cozy Stovetop Calico Beans Recipe
• The Best Game Day Cheesy Crab Dip Recipe