Dips Of The Mediterranean Recipe

Prepare and blend

Place the cooked chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic clove, cumin and salt into a food processor. Pulse to combine until coarse.

With the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil and cold water. Process until very smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice. If too thick, add additional 1 tablespoon cold water at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lemon juice, or cumin as desired.

Transfer hummus to a shallow serving bowl, create a small well in the center, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle paprika and chopped parsley.

Roast the eggplant

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Prick the eggplant a few times with a knife and place on a baking sheet. Roast until the skin is charred and the flesh is very soft, about 30–40 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle it. Slice open, scoop out the flesh into a colander and let it drain for 10 minutes to remove excess liquid, then transfer to a paper towel and gently press to remove more moisture.

Blend to finish

Place the drained eggplant flesh, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil into a food processor or blender. Pulse and then process to a slightly chunky to smooth texture depending on preference. Taste and adjust salt, lemon or smoked paprika.

Spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and garnish with chopped parsley.

Prepare cucumber

Grate the seeded cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Place grated cucumber in a fine mesh sieve or clean kitchen towel, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and let sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible to avoid a watery tzatziki.

In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, drained cucumber, minced garlic, lemon juice, chopped dill, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly combined.

Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Before serving, give a final stir and adjust seasoning if needed. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil and a sprig of dill as garnish.

Toast walnuts (if not pre-toasted)

Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly darker, about 3–5 minutes. Cool completely.

In a food processor, combine toasted walnuts, roasted red peppers, garlic clove, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, ground cumin, Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes), salt and olive oil.

Pulse until a coarse paste forms. For a smoother texture, process a little longer, scraping down the sides as necessary. If mixture seems too thick, add 1 teaspoon olive oil or 1–2 teaspoons water to loosen slightly.

Taste and adjust seasoning—add a touch more pomegranate molasses for sweetness, lemon for acidity, or salt to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle a little olive oil on top.

Arrange the hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki and muhammara in separate shallow bowls on a large platter or board.

Drizzle each dip lightly with olive oil from the serving garnish ingredients and sprinkle fresh herbs as indicated for each dip.

Serve with toasted pita, pita chips or an assortment of fresh crudités and lemon wedges on the side. Encourage guests to squeeze lemon on the dips as desired.