Turkish Yogurt Hummus

Turkish Yogurt Hummus

The meze table — or selection of "little foods" — that greets guests in eastern Mediterranean homes is not only a wonderful tradition for entertaining but a wonderfully varied source of inspiration for feeding oneself in the hot summer months when appetites are not so enormous. And if hummus is already one of the classic staples of "little food" tables, what could be more appealing on the very hottest and most humid of summer days than a light and fluffy hummus made with yogurt instead of tahini, as in this refreshingly tangy Turkish version.


Turkish Yogurt HummusTurkish Yogurt Hummus
Recipe by
Cuisine: Turkish
Published on August 7, 2008

Light creamy hummus made with tangy yogurt and lemon juice and seasoned with cumin

Preparation: 10 minutes

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Ingredients:
  • 1 cup dried chickpeas (3 cups cooked or 2 14 oz cans)
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3 tablespoons plain whole fat yogurt
  • juice from 3 lemons (8 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
Instructions:
  • Rinse the chickpeas and soak overnight covered in several inches of water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain and discard the soaking liquid the next day and add the chickpeas to a medium saucepan covered in several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the beans are buttery soft. Drain and set aside.

  • Place the garlic cloves in a food processor fitted with steel blades and pulse until the garlic is finely chopped and sticks to the side of the processor. Scrape the garlic down to the bottom and add the cooked chickpeas and cumin. Process until the beans form a coarse paste. Add the yogurt and lemon juice and purée until smooth. Stir in the salt and add black pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish.

  • Just before serving, heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. When hot, toss in the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl to coat the pan. Add the pine nuts and gently fry until golden brown. Spoon the pine nuts and drizzle the oil over the hummus.

  • Serve with fresh vegetables and/or triangles of pita bread. Keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 cups

Turkish Yogurt Hummus

18 comments:

Lucy said...

Perfect hot-weather food.

Lovely presentation, too. Lemon juice in the soaking chickpeas - what an excellent idea. And the fried pine nuts...gorgeous stuff.

TBC said...

I love this Turkish version of hummus! Though I do use tahini, I find it to be a little bitter. Also, it is not something I buy regularly. I always have yogurt in my refrigerator. Will try using yogurt the next time.:)

Deeba PAB said...

Love this absolutely Lisa. Anything Turkish is exciting for me...& since tahini is something we hardly get here, this version simply rocks. Bookmarked!

Mama Mia said...

mmmmmm I love hummus! Such a versatile dip!

Johanna GGG said...

love that photo with all the colourful vegies - and I did search for the tahini but finally realised it wasn't there but the recipe looked quite interesting without it

Beth (jamandcream) said...

I love hummus too. The addition of the yogurt Im sure makes it really creamy. Yummy

Laura Paterson said...

Oh - lovely - I have chickpeas soaking now... I'm going to make this tonight!

Jen said...

I love hummus and your photo makes it look sooooo good.

sunita said...

Lisa, that is such a wonderful recipe...thanks :-)

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

What a lovely picture Lisa. All those lovely colours! Very very appealing :)

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of the pine nut garnish. What a lovely complement to the chickpeas!

eatme_delicious said...

Oh yum I must try this!

Anonymous said...

This looks fantastic! I make hummus on a weekly basis almost, and am always on the lookout for new incarnations. (So glad to have found your site -- this is a cuisine I've been wanting to learn more about!)

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

With some pita or flatbread this is a meal for me in the summer..delicious Lisa:D

Susan said...

As much as I love tahini, you couldn't miss it with the generous garlic, lemon juice and cumin.

Thanks for sharing this creative "little" treat for MLLA2, Lisa.

Astra Libris said...

Such a beautiful version of hummus! Since we make hummus as a regular staple in our house, I am so excited to try your recipe! Thank you for the refreshing summer hummus!

dhan said...

whether the difference between kefir and yogurt?
Which is better between them?
whether kefir has the same flavor of yogurt?
It looks very tasty

Lisa Turner said...

Kefir and yogurt are rather similar in taste in texture, though they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Kefir also has a delightful creamy bit on top when you first open the jar. I enjoy both yogurt and kefir and they can be used interchangeably. I like to use yogurt sometimes and kefir at other times. It is good to have both in your diet.