Hummus with Olives, Pine Nuts and Olive Oil Crostini Recipe

Hummus with olives, pine nuts, and crostini make for a beautiful, holiday-worthy appetizer. Healthy and luscious and lovely, all in one! Get out the good china!

Hummus is rightly an everyday or at least an every-week food. And sometimes the everyday gets (rightly) set aside for the special times, the feasts, the celebrations.

RECIPE BY: MAUREEN ABOOD

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE HUMMUS:
3 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (peeled chickpeas will yield a smooth result)
1 clove garlic, green sprout removed
1/4 cup tahini
Juice 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
3 tablespoons Chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Sumac, sesame seeds, or za'atar for dusting

FOR THE CROSTINI:
2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
1 high-quality baguette, sliced in 1/2-inch rounds (or on an angle for longer pieces)
Sea Salt for Finishing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the hummus, in the bowl of the food processor, puree the chickpeas and garlic clove. Stop and scrape down the bowl as you go, processing for several minutes until everything is completely smooth. This mixture may be very  thick and ball up in the processor, depending how much liquid may be left in the cooked chickpeas.

2. Add the tahini, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Process, taste, and add more salt or lemon juice to adjust texture and taste as needed.

3. For the crostini, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the crostini and cook until golden brown, adjusting the heat as needed. Turn the crostini over with tongs and brown the other side, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with sea salt.

4. Spoon the hummus onto a serving plate or bowl, making a well in the center with the back of a spoon. Decorate the top with the olives and pine nuts, then drizzle with olive oil. Finish a pinch of sumac, za'atar or sesame seeds. Serve  immediately.