Marinated Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus with Olives

Of all the "little foods" of the eastern Mediterranean "meze" tradition, hummus has always been a favourite choice of mine not only for entertaining friends but also for simple and convenient light meal solutions.  The simple background of ground chickpeas lends itself to adaptation to many varieties of spices and flavourings, making it one of the most versatile of foods in the vegetarian kitchen. So for me, it's another opportunity to make use of my favourite marinated sun-dried tomato recipe, which I've already put to good use in this delicious vinaigrette and in this rich and wonderful pasta sauce. And how could I resist including olives?

This is my submission to My Legume Love Affair, a very popular event hosted this month by lovely Susan, the founder of this most healthy monthly roundup of creative legume recipes.

Marinated Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus with Olives

1 cup dried chickpeas
3 tablespoons tahini
4 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives
small handful fresh parsley

Rinse the chickpeas and soak overnight covered in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain the soaking liquid and add to a medium saucepan. Cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft. Drain and set aside to cool.

Place the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the chickpeas and olive oil and process until smooth again, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula occasionally. Add the marinated sun-dried tomatoes and olives and process until the tomatoes and olives are chopped into small bits and blended into the hummus. Now add the parsley and pulse until mixed in.

Serve in a bowl with cut fresh vegetables and slices of fresh pita bread for dipping. May be covered and refrigerated for a few days.

Other hummus recipes you may enjoy:

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Hummus with Goat Cheese
Tukish Yogurt Hummus

On the top of the reading stack: Kathe Kollwitz

Audio Accompaniment: Discreet Music by Brian Eno