Roasted Garlic & Kale Hummus – Gluten-Free + Vegan

The second post in our gluten-free, vegan recipe series from Beth of Tasty Yummies!

This week’s gluten-free recipe is for a simple, naturally gluten-free (and vegan) hummus with a twist.  I love hummus and go through so much of it every week it isn’t even funny. It is great on rice crackers, tortilla chips, fresh raw veggies, in wraps or sandwiches or heck, even just by the spoonful.

This hummus has some unique and very pronounced layers of flavor from both the roasted garlic and the raw kale, plus it takes on a beautiful green hue that makes it even more special and yummy-looking. To me, the flavor from roasted garlic might just be what dreams are made of. Even just a thin layer of the roasted garlic as is, spread on piece of toast, it is just simple perfection. A whole bulb may seem like a lot for one batch of hummus, but trust me, it is just right, the flavor is subtle and almost a little sweet, not like the spicy kick from raw garlic.

Enjoy this hummus as you would any hummus and savor some of the beautiful seasonal flavors of the end of summer!

Roasted Garlic & Kale Hummus – Gluten-free + Vegan

Makes approximately 2-3 cups

1 bulb of fresh garlic

1 large can (25 ounces) organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini, well stirred

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt

1 small bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped, about 2 to 3 tightly packed cups

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Red pepper flakes or black pepper

Start by roasting your garlic. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Peel away the outer layers of the skin from the garlic bulb, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place the head of garlic in the center of a small piece of foil. (You can also place it in a baking pan or muffin tin covered with foil). Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over the top, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Close the foil around the garlic tightly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft and tender. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool so you can touch it. Using a knife or a fork, press down on each clove to squeeze the garlic out of the skin.

Make your hummus. Reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid, rinse and drain chickpeas. Place chickpeas and reserved liquid in a food processor. Add in the kale, freshly squeezed lemon juice, tahini, roasted garlic, salt and a little freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes. Process until smooth. I drizzle in just a bit of olive oil while its processing, it makes it even smoother and gives it a nice, subtle taste.  Sprinkle a bit of red pepper flakes or smoked paprika and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top when serving. Serve with your favorite gluten-free goodies like rice crackers, tortilla chips, raw veggies, or serve it on a sandwich, in a wrap and more. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.

For more of Beth’s delicious recipes visit her blog Tasty Yummies.

More healthy recipes from the BLDG 25 Blog.