Description

Easy sweet potato hummus recipe with a kick! Cayenne, paprika, cumin, and lemon zest add flavor points to this delicious recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

2 sweet potatoes, medium
1 can cooked chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), rinsed & drained
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil*
3 tbsp tahini
juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
zest of 1/2 lemon (or lime)
kosher salt, to taste
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, add 1/2 tsp at a time to taste
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin

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Instructions

Steam Sweet Potatoes. Cut sweet potatoes in half and steam* over simmering water for approximately 30 minutes or until tender through the center. Alternately, you can bake the sweet potatoes with a deep slit through the center at 400 degrees F for 35-45 minutes. I prefer steaming to retain the moisture of the sweet potatoes.
Blend. While the sweet potatoes are cooling off, add all of the other ingredients, withholding salt and cayenne, to a food processor. When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off and add potatoes to the food processor. Blend until smooth. If too thick, add a tbsp of water at a time to get to your ideal consistency – smooth & creamy. Then, add salt and cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp at a time, to taste. I prefer the entire 1 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper because I can definitely taste the heat!
Serve. If serving to entertain guests, dollop hummus in a bowl and use the back of a spoon to create a swirl on the top of the hummus. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top.

Notes

*Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): My rule of thumb is to opt for EVOO for all raw applications (aka, recipes where the oil isn’t cooked!) It’s richer in color and the most flavorful of olive oils, so here’s a perfect recipe to use that fancy bottle of EVOO in your pantry begging to be used! If you don’t have EVOO, refined olive oil will work fine for this recipe (the color is lighter and more on the yellow side).

*Steam Sweet Potatoes: If you’re like me and don’t have a steamer, my trick is to use a pot and a strainer that will sit flush on top. Boil water in the pot, place the strainer on top with the sweet potatoes, and cover with a lid to steam!