Hummus and Homemade Pita Chips

Another one from Paula Disbrowe...

When Paula described liking her hummus as light and creamy as buttercream, I thought - aren't we being just a tad dramatic to describe a simple Middle Eastern spread? I was also a little put off by her addition of plain yogurt (not that I have anything against yogurt - it's becoming my signature ingredient in the way that butter is Paula Dean's and Mascarpone is Giada's.) But I'd never seen this added before and it struck me as a weird form of cheating.

Luckily I got over myself. Her addition of yogurt has to be the trick to getting such a luxurious, silky texture. Here's to cheating!

Paula Disbrowe's Smoky Hummus:

1 to 2 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons sesame tahini
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I prefer Greek!)
2 Lemons, juiced
4 to 6 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoke spanish parprika or aleppo pepper
Hot sauce

Please the garlic, rosemary, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add the chickpeas and process until they are broken down. Add the tahini, yogurt, the juice of 1 lemon, 4 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, and smoked paprika and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and lemon juice, the remaining olive oil, and hot sauce to acheve the desired balance and consistency. Puree until very smooth. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For the best flavor, bring to room temperature before serving and garnish with an additional drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika or Aleppo pepper as desired, and a sprig of rosemary.

Cumin Dusted Homemade Pita Chips:

1 package best quality pita bread
olive oil, for brushing
coarse sea salt or kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons fresh chopped herbs such as flat leaf parsley or oregano for garnishing, optional


Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the pita rounds into wedges (quarters.) I find it's easy to stack all of the pita rounds on top of one another and slice through all of them at once. Grease or brush a large rimmed baking sheet (you may need a couple) with olive oil, then lay pita slices out on the sheet, spreading out evenly. Brush the pita lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt then cumin and coriander. Flip slices over and repeat with oil, salt, and spices. Feel free to add more spices if you like (the more I make these, the more cumin I end up adding.)

Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and quickly flip over with tongs or a spatula, then return to the oven and bake another 4-5 minutes or just until golden brown.

Remove and sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs if desired. Serve with hummus or any other dip you prefer.