Recently, I ran across a pumpkin dip recipe that sounded very much like my recipe for hummus. Since I love hummus, I thought I would try the recipe to see if this dip might be suitable for serving with other fall appetizers at my upcoming Thanksgiving dinner. I gathered the ingredients: a can of garbanzo beans, a small can of pumpkin puree, tahini, (which I always have in my fridge; it is available at Middle Eastern, Greek, and Mediterranean markets and keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator), some plain yogurt, a lemon, and a few readily available spices. With the help of my food processor, this dip took only about 10 minutes to prepare, and that included fine tuning it to my tastes. This dip will definitely appear on Thanksgiving with other appetizers; it is even more delicious than plain hummus!

You will be happy to know that this is not only a delicious and different dip; it is also very healthy. In addition to several vitamins, minerals, and fiber, one serving of this Spicy Pumpkin Hummus supplies 137% of your daily Vitamin A requirement. I love to make my own pita (I make the dough in the auto bread machine) to serve with this dip; if you’re short on time, you can purchase pita at most grocery stores. In addition, surround the dip with crisp vegetables such as carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, sugar snap peas, bell pepper strips, and grape tomatoes; these fresh veggies are yummy with this dip!

Spicy Pumpkin Hummus can be made up to five days ahead; just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. On the day of your party, transfer it to a serving platter and garnish. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

12 Servings

1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup plain yogurt

fresh parsley
ground cumin
paprika


Place the garbanzo beans in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the beans are very finely chopped. With the motor running, add the garlic through the tube and process until very fine. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper; you may also want to add more lemon juice.

Transfer the mixture from the processor onto a decorative plate or tray. Sprinkle parsley, cumin, and paprika in stripes across the dip (or diagonals if you are serving this dip on a round plate). For a Halloween presentation, add orange gel food coloring to make the hummus a bright orange. Place the mixture onto a black plate in the shape of a pumpkin. Cut out black eyes, nose, and mouth to look like a Jack-o-Lantern. Draw lines down the pumpkin with a skewer, add the cut-outs, and add spinach leaves and stem. Cover and refrigerate up to 5 days. Serve with pita bread, pita chips, and/or fresh raw vegetables.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 103 Calories from Fat 34
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 33% Protein 15% Carb. 52%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 1 mg
Sodium 301 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 4 g

Vitamin A 137% Vitamin C 6% Calcium 0% Iron 9%