BROCCOLI & CHICKPEA PUREE

By BobD

Ingredients

• This is very much like a green hummus. Serve it with pita bread, make sandwiches with it, or use it as a dip or a spread for crostini.
• 1/2 pound broccoli crowns
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds (to taste)
• 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons sesame tahini

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Steam the broccoli for five minutes until tender but still bright. Refresh with cold water and drain on paper towels.

2. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is minced and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Add the broccoli, chickpeas and cumin, and process to a coarse purée. Turn off the machine, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn on the machine again, and pour in the lemon juice and olive oil with the machine running. Process until smooth. Add the tahini and salt to taste, and blend well. Serve with bread, croutons or pita, or as a dip with vegetables.

Advance preparation: Plan on serving this the day you make it. The lemon juice will change the flavor of the broccoli, and it won’t taste as fresh the next day. But you can keep it for several hours in the refrigerator.