There are nights when a container of hummus and a box of crackers—and a sliced up cucumber or bell pepper if I'm lucky—is my dinner. Those nights there's no energy or time left for anything else, when dinner is eaten in the midst of several other tasks or in a sleepy daze on the sofa. We've all been there, right? It's kind of sad.
Thing is, I love hummus for dinner. Or lunch, or breakfast, or snacks. And it's actually quite healthy, packed with vegetable protein and dietary fiber. But to make it feel like a real meal, and not a sad excuse for dinner, a little bit of extra effort (but not too much) is required.
Where hummus comes from, it is a meal—in Israel, for example, it's served at hummusiyas in bowls for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But the grocery store containers we're all used to here in the States are packaged as snacking dips. And those little containers are too small for my hummus appetite!
Homemade hummus really is the most affordable and delicious option when it comes to hummus, but you can make your dinner out of whatever hummus you love most or happen to have on hand. Just dress it up a bit in a proper bowl (no eating out of the container if you're calling it dinner!), grab some pita, and top it in one of the following ways. You're on your way to a satisfying dinner:
1. Eggs
Pick your fancy: hard or soft. Then peel, half or quarter the egg, and arrange it on top of your hummus. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with paprika, add a flourish of flakey sea salt, and maybe some parsley or za'atar. You can also add some pickles or hot sauce here, or some diced tomatoes or avocado. You're in charge, and it's all good.
2. Roasted or Sautéed Veggies
I just love crispy, pan-seared wild mushrooms on top of my hummus, spiced with lots of garlic and cumin, and finished with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs. But really, any vegetable can get this treatment. Or use a high heat oven for some nice crispy roasted veggies. I could go for some thinly sliced, generously spiced, roasted delicata squash on top of my hummus tonight, couldn't you? Or how about some cauliflower? Yes.
3. Salad
No, you probably don't want a whole mess of tender leafy lettuce getting soggy on top of your hummus, but a handful of spicy baby arugula is never out of place, nor is a handful of fresh herb leaves and chopped scallions. A mix of chopped radishes and cucumbers can count as a perfect salad topping here too. Or chopped fresh tomatoes. Add some toasted pine nuts to your "salad" or maybe even make a chimichurri. The more fresh green things you can sneak in there the better. It is dinner after all.
4. Spiced Meat
Any ground meat, sautéed with chopped onions and garlic and spices is amazing over hummus. Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey: you choose. Add some green things on top to make dinner a little less brown; see the step above.
5. More Beans
Crispy roasted chickpeas give a fun textural contrast on top of creamy chickpea hummus. Or switch up the bean variety and texture entirely and go for the traditional Middle Eastern dish ful medames made of stewed fava beans on top of your hummus. Or try some of those marinated gigantes beans you can get in the olive bars of most specialty food stores.
