This golden (bean free) hummus is rich and creamy with butternut squash, tahini, roasted garlic and sage scented olive oil. Serve it with your favourite crackers, flatbread or veggies for dipping.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 medium butternut squash, cut lengthwise
- 2 Tbsp. organic tahini
- 4 whole cloves of roasted garlic
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 heaping tsp. pink himalayan salt
- 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 12 fresh sage leaves
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- coarse finishing salt
- black pepper
To roast the squash, cut it length wise and then set it face down on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. You can bake the garlic at the same time. Cut the top off of a whole garlic head. Place on a piece of foil and then drizzle with olive oil. Wrap snuggly in the foil and set it on the edge of the cookie sheet along side of the squash. They get along well together!
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 40 min. or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove it from the oven and let sit until it is cool enough to handle.
Scoop the seeds out of the squash with a spoon. Scoop the remaining flesh into a blender jug. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the cloves into the jug along with the squash. Set aside while you fry the sage.
You will only need half of the squash for this recipe. Refrigerate the remaining half and make yourself a warming butternut risotto tomorrow!
The crispy sage:
Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small pot or mini fry pan over medium high heat. Add the whole sage leaves. Allow them to sizzle in the oil for 20-30 seconds until crisp. Be careful not to burn them. With a fork remove the sage leaves from the oil to cool on a piece of paper towel. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Reserve the sage scented oil.
Add all but 1 tbsp. of the remaining sage scented oil to the squash in the blender along with the tahini, fresh lemon juice, and tsp. of salt. Blend until very smooth adding a bit of water at a time to facilitate the process. You should need no more than 1/4 cup or so.
With a spatula, scrape the hummus from the blender jug into a pretty bowl. Adjust seasonings if desired adding more lemon or salt to taste. Drizzle the remaining oil over the hummus and then arrange the salted crispy sage leaves on top. Garnish with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt and plenty of freshly cracked pepper!
