To quote Leo in Titanic, do you trust me?
Because I’m about to ask you to take a giant leap of faith and put a whole lot of pickles in your hummus.
In my mid-twenties, when I first moved to Brooklyn, I worked for a couple of years at a popular Israeli restaurant. They did an insane amount of business for weekend brunch. (Once, another waitress wore a pedometer and she logged more than five miles just running around the dining room!) The shift started at 8am and went until late afternoon. When it was finally over, we collapsed at the bar and had glasses of wine and snacks while we divvied up our tips.
My favorite thing was always the hummus, ethereally light and smooth, served with a side of Israeli pickles. You might not think of hummus and pickles as a particularly delicious combo, but let me tell you, it works. It’s like this creamy, briny yin-yang situation in your mouth.
I was obsessed with recreating those same flavors at home. The only trouble was, Israeli pickles aren’t exactly easy to come by. Undeterred, I decided to use regular old kosher dills in their place. And (yay!) they were a fantastic substitute. In fact, as I was testing this recipe, I kept wanting more. I started out with a modest 1/4 cup of chopped pickles blended right into the hummus. Then I added 1/4 cup more. And then I stirred in another 1/4 cup right at the end, for a little texture and crunch.
I was so excited about the results, I practically force fed my mom when she stopped by the other night after dinner. She hadn’t even taken off her coat, and I was all like eat this giant spoonful of hummus and tell me what you think. I am happy to report that she went back for a second giant spoonful.
This dill pickle hummus is, of course, delicious served as dip (I’m looking at you, Superbowl Sunday). But if you want to get a little creative with it, I suggest making a sandwich with some cheddar cheese and thinly sliced cucumber or beets.
Dill Pickle Hummus
2016-01-29 01:16:11
Serves 8
This creamy, briny hummus makes an excellent sandwich spread. It will keep for about 3 days in the fridge. The nutrition information is for 1/4 cup of hummus.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup chopped dill pickles plus 2 tablespoons brine
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Warm water, if needed
Instructions
- Combine the chickpeas, 1/2 cup of the pickles, pickle brine, tahini, garlic, dill, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth (you may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula). With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. If the hummus is too thick, add a little warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. Transfer the hummus to a bowl and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of pickles.
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Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
Wow–so glad you tried this out. In my pickle loving opinion, it looks AWESOME!!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
As someone who LOVES dill pickles, I Totally trust you, haha. This sounds awesome!
Jennifer A Stewart says
Totally bizarre, intriguing, and absolutely delicious looking! I love the dill pickles over the sweet any day!! This sounds awesome and I totally trust you that it is going to blow me away!
Sara @ Life's Little Sweets says
I am a huge fan of hummus and I love the flavors you have going on here, pinning this one!
Renee says
I’m moody about pickles, but I think if they were in this hummus dip my mood would be nothing be positive! Looks great!
Jenn says
I think this sounds amazing!!! I LOVE dill pickles and I LOVE hummus – why not combine the too!! Genius! Definitely trying this!! Pinning!
Alison says
Yes, I trust you! Mostly because I absolutely LOVE pickles, especially dill pickles, and think they taste awesome with just about anything! I’m most definitely giving this a try! 🙂
Tania @ COOKTORIA says
Dill Pickles in hummus? Wow! That sounds amazing!!! I must try it! Pinned and Yummed!
Sarah says
Omg I am such a pickle addict that I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Fareeha says
Wow, this looks super cool and awesomely delicious. What a beautiful way to make hummus
Traditionallymodernfood says
My fav dip..ur version looks awesome
Valerie says
I know this is an older post, but I just wanted to say this was SO FREAKING DELICIOUS. I made it on a Saturday afternoon, and it was all gone within 24 hours. I, too, forced it upon the dubious, and the dubious became believers. THANK YOU for this.
Lucy Baker says
Thanks Valerie! Comments like this make my day 🙂 I am a crazy pickle lover, so whenever I make this hummus it’s gone super fast, too!
Megan says
I’m a hummus lover and cannot get enough chickpeas lately and am searching for all kinds of fun ways to use them. Above all I’m a pickle addict! You have made my day!!! Going home to make this after dinner!!!