Convenience
Houmous is one of those wonderful easy to make foods which we tend to pick up in the supermarket rather than bother to make our own! Sure, it is easy to pick up tub or two of plain, low fat, sundried tomato or caramelised onion houmous, but why not try making it? and you’ll save on the plastic too hooray! ๐ In addition, when you make your own houmous, you can easily customise it, or make a couple of variations.
The Original Recipe
Check out our standard houmous recipe here: You can add more garlic, a bit of chilli or your own sundried tomatoes, caramelised onions or even olives or beetroot! Whatever flavour you can think of, you can make it!
Spinach & Mint houmous
This recipe for spinach mint houmous was actually an accident! The intention was to make some flat breads like these socca, with the addition of spinach, but I thought I’d use chickpeas instead of flour. And as usual, I then got a bit carried away and completely changed the recipe! Bargain! In conclusion, a worthwhile deviation! ๐ This is such a refreshing change from our normal houmous and this can be used as a dip, a sauce, a dressing or just eaten off the spoon! ๐ Just because! ๐
Ingredients
If you don’t have fresh spinach, frozen will work too – just be sure to thaw it completely and drain all the water off before adding. I have yet to make this with dried mint, so let me know if you try! Mint is so easy to grow – but be sure to grow it in a pot or it will takeover! It’s great to have access to fresh mint for making mint tea, adding flavour to foods or just for garnishing. I stirred some of this spinach mint houmous into some raw courgetti, put some on cooked broccoli and mashed some into a jacket potato! Delicious! ๐ What would you do with yours?
A refreshing houmous great as a dip, sauce or spread.
- 600 g fresh baby spinach
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas drained
- 7-8 leaves fresh mint (& extra for decoration)
- salt to taste
- *optional (chilli flakes, black pepper, cumin powder)
Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly, drain, then put in a saucepan on low heat. Allow the spinach to wilt down completely (the water clinging to the leaves should be sufficient).
Put the chickpeas in a blender and add the spinach (use some of the liquid if needed). Pulse until the chickpeas are broken down.
Add the mint and seasonings. Pulse again until you have a smooth houmous. Taste test and adjust. Serve.
Enjoy!
Equipment
Here are a few items you might find useful when making this houmous – or the courgetti.
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This Week…
This week I am co-hosting Angie’s Fiesta Friday. Why not pop along and see what everyone else is sharing?! If you have a post to share, remember to add the party links in (Fiesta & co-hosts – this week me Laurena@LifeDietHealth) for a chance to be featured the following week. ๐
Have a fabulous weekend – firstly, remember to stay safe! Secondly, respect the social distancing guidelines wherever you are – even if your lockdown is easing! Lastly, you’ll find me still staying home – more baking to do! ๐ Are there any recipes you would like to see? Anything you want to chat about? Drop me a line below and say hello! ๐
Speak soon
Laurena x
I love hummus, and that bright shade of green is just amazing, I bet it tastes deliciously fresh!
Thanks Irene, it’s so delicious and fresh with that added mint! What would you eat it with?
This looks REALLY good! I want to dip some celery sticks in, immediately. Or, simply a spoon. BTW, thanks for co hosting FF this week. And PSS… that heart shaped bowl… where did you find that?
Thank you! ๐ Ooo, I just had celery delivered – I might try that! ๐ Spoon is good though – hot or cold! Ahhh, my heart bowl – I have a set of 4! A present a long time ago – I will ask for you! ๐ Hope you’re well. x
Hi Laurena, you may be surprised to learn I make my own houmous haha (although it’s never quite the same as the one I really liked from a certain UK supermarket lol). I would never have thought of adding spinach to it, what a good idea. Have you tried beetroot houmous? I tried it a while back, I thought it was quite sweet. I think any kind of chickpea dip and flatbread would be my final meal?Hope all’s well with youโบ
Hello Eva, I think I’ve tried every houmous there is going! Homemade, fresh, pasteurised and even tinned!! It used to be my go-to jacket potato topping, now I just blob it on my salad or spread it on bread instead of butter! This version is great as a sauce or dressing as well as a dip and the mint just makes it amazing! Ooo, flatbread… maybe I’ll make some today! We’re okay, still going crazy shut in though!!! I thought I’d see how it went with the relaxed rules and apparently it (the R) has gone up already! You both well?
Iโve not come across tinned before, was that in Turkey? When you mentioned your version being used as a sauce just now, I immediately thought tofu! It would be nice on some rice too, yummy. Weโre ok thanks, just grateful to be healthy, touch woodโฆ Howโs the school work going etc? Is your sonโs school due to reopen soon??
I want to tell you the tin was Greek?Think we’ve had a couple of different ones. Ooo, yes, on tofu??good plan! Now you’ve said rice I’m thinking buddha bowl?โญ School work urghhh! It’s taken over my life!??โโ๏ธSchool to email us next week? so I’ll let you know… not sure what I think though with the ‘R’ going back up!?
Haha?I remember tinned margarine in Cyprus back in 1985! I keep meaning to make Buddha bowls and then forgetting lol; I recently saw a tasty-looking one with spicy roasted chickpeas, basmati, glazed tofu and houmous of course. Ahh, I can imagine how overwhelmed you must be regarding the schoolwork, combined with the worry about schools reopening?
NO way! Tinned margarine? Really? Tinned cheese I’ve seen, but not margarine! I think I need to start making buddha bowls again for lunch! Re. the schoolwork – I’ve learnt so much already I’m considering taking the GCSE’s myself – I quite fancy sociology! ๐
That’s the only time I (vaguely) recall seeing it lol. I’m intrigued by tinned houmous now haha. I’ve seen tinned Turkish and Bulgarian cheese here. At least the GCSE work has been enjoyable in some ways?
Some ways yes! But five hours a day of independent study online is enough to drive anyone crazy don’t you think?
Of course it is, I almost gave myself a nervous breakdown studying so much in my late teens and for most of my 20s for various qualifications! I do think about you and your son getting through thisโฆ Keep up the good work?
Thank you! ?
I Love making houmous but never tried it with spinach unless I am making falafel. This looks fresh and yummy. Thanks for co-hosting this week!
Thanks Zeba?It was one of those ‘accidental’ things but it will now become a regular as long as I have fresh mint. Hope you are well.
It looks so good! My daughter really, really loves hummus. Like really, really! I’ve made hummus a few times but I can never get it very smooth like the store-bought ones. Someone told me I have to peel the chickpeas, each one of them if I want really smooth hummus. What? Thanks for cohosting!!
Thank you Angie – but does she just like regular houmous or would she try something like this? Oh, and the secret to smooth houmous is a high speed blender and a bit more liquid! That’s it! Unless of course, you want to spend hours peeling chickpeas (hint – if you soak the chickpeas in a bowl of cold water and swish them with your hand every so often the skins will float to the top so you can scoop them off!) It’s a pleasure to co-host for you Angie x