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Put on Your Cake Pants

From the kitchen of a semi-vegetarian with a serious sweet tooth

Tzatziki Hummus

tzatziki hummus

Having a routine is often beneficial. Routines provide structure and a certain amount of comfort—those of us with pets or small children know this especially well! But sometimes, routines can turn into ruts, and I find this to be particularly true when it comes to food. In order to prevent food burn-out—like my major aversion to turkey sandwiches, which I mentioned the other week—it’s important to change things up every now and then. After all, as the ancient Greeks said, “Everything in moderation.” While I positively adore roasted red pepper hummus and have scarcely not made any other variety in the last year, I decided to give the roasted red peppers a break.

Enter tzatziki hummus.

I spent two summers in Greece while I was in college, so Greek food holds a special place in my heart. I do find, however, that I have a hard time polishing off a full recipe of tzatziki before it goes bad. The solution seemed obvious to me: why not combine tzatziki and hummus?! This tzatziki hummus uses Greek yogurt in place of tahini and is bursting with lemon and fresh dill flavor. Toss a little diced cucumber on top and you’ve got yourself a dip that is so refreshingly tangy and addictive that you’ll want to dunk everything you possibly can into it—veggies, pita chips, your spoon, you name it. It’s also amazing as a spread in sandwiches…or gyros!

tzatziki hummus

On a somewhat related note, the boyfriend started a garden this summer! He consulted me while choosing which herbs to grow, and I readily agreed that having fresh dill on hand would be awesome, failing to realize that I actually have very few recipes that call for fresh dill. Oops. The garden’s production rate has now far outstripped our consumption rate, and we’re trying to find ways to use as much as we can before resorting to drying it. Any suggestions?

Tzatziki Hummus
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Total Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  2. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  3. 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  4. 6 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  5. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  6. 1 clove garlic, minced
  7. 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  8. 2-3 tablespoons diced cucumbers (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, pulse the garbanzo beans and salt until the mixture resembles a grainy paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
  2. Add the lemon juice and pulse until combined, about 15-20 seconds.
  3. Add the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and dill, and process until fully incorporated.
  4. Optional: sprinkle the diced cucumbers on top before serving.
Notes
  1. Yields about 1 1/2 cups
  2. If you do not have fresh dill, you can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill.
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tzatziki hummus

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Comments

    • Thanks! You know, I thought about doing that, but then I figured that since lumpy beige food is never very appealing from an aesthetic standpoint, it was better to create some visual contrast. Aesthetic matters aside, it turns out that I love having the cucumber on top as a garnish!

      Reply

    • I actually bought a Greek cookbook the first summer but never put it to much use – I found it difficult to come to terms with recipes for baked goods that instructed me to bake “in a moderate oven.” I should take another look at that book sometime, though!

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  8. What a great combo! I could see sitting down with a bowl of this and watching some football this weekend. Oh, and I grew some dill this year, too…although I don’t think mine was as productive as yours! Maybe try your hand at stuffed grape leaves with that extra dill? I’ve made them a couple of times, and they’re pretty fun…although a bit time consuming. Still, it’s pretty cool to say you made your own stuffed grape leaves!

    Reply

    • Football and hummus…not at all a bad way to spend an afternoon! I hadn’t thought of making stuffed grape leaves. That’s a great idea – thanks!

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    • Thanks! Yes, Greek cuisine is not easily forgotten – and since there aren’t (m)any good Greek restaurants where I live, I want to learn to cook more Greek dishes. Some of them are so complex, though!

      Reply

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