Festive squash hummus

It’s officially fall now, and with Thanksgiving arriving shortly, I figured the season occasioned a festive hummus recipe. Succulent and high in fibre, butternut squash is arguably one of the best things about fall. You can use any winter squash, but I chose butternut squash because, there’s nothing better than roasted butternut squash.

Hummus is one of my all-time favourite foods, since a generous portion of hummus can make almost anything delicious. It’s also the perfect finger food and great for the health-conscious mind, as it’s high in protein and low in fat. It’s versatile as a spread or a dip and is both filling and low in calories. The nutritional value doesn’t stop there - tahini is packed with unsaturated fats and fibre. I personally can’t get enough of homemade tahini; I made it fresh for this recipe, but feel free to use the store bought variety for some added convenience.

The lingering aroma of butternut squash and cinnamon makes this an enticing fall recipe. It’s also super easy to make and relatively healthy, especially with a half cup of tahini and half a cup of toasted walnuts instead of a full cup of tahini.

Serving: makes 6 to 7 cups

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pounds butternut squash
• Half teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 head of garlic
• ½ teaspoon of rosemary
• 1 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• Cinnamon to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cut butternut squash in halves and peel. Once peeled, cut butternut squash into quarters. Season quarters with salt and nutmeg. Coat with olive oil and place in preheated oven for half an hour.




3. Peel outer layers of the garlic, but leave the skins of the individual garlic cloves intact. Using a sharp knife, cut off the tips of the garlic cloves. Place garlic in aluminum foil and add half a teaspoon of rosemary and a pinch of salt to season. Wrap the head of garlic into a ball using foil. Set garlic aside.
4. Once butternut squash has been in the oven for half an hour, add garlic to the baking tray. Bake butternut squash with garlic for half an hour or until very soft.




5. Chop butternut squash into smaller pieces and place in either a blender or food processor along with a cup of tahini, two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 1 cup of chickpeas, a cup of water from the chickpeas, a teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of pepper and the roasted garlic. Blend until desired consistency and then refrigerate for three hours before serving and top with cinnamon.

The sweetness of the squash is complemented by a mild nutty aftertaste. You’ll find that this hummus recipe makes a smoother hummus than most store-bought varieties, since the main ingredient is butternut squash.

This recipe makes a sweet and nutty topping for sandwiches, much healthier than a dollop of mayo, and goes extremely well with cinnamon bread. Enjoy this versatile treat for up to a week in the refrigerator, and unlike the store bought hummus, you’ll be indulging in this savoury snack with no added preservatives.