Pesto Hummus is delicious served with homemade pita chips for a party appetizer, packed as a school lunch, spread on a sandwich, or as a dinner side dish.
Hey, friends! Today marks the 13th official Throw Back Thursday here on TEM. In case you've missed the other #tbt posts, this is the one time every month where I search the archives of The Endless Meal to find my favorite old recipes that have less than appetizing photos attached to them.
These are recipes that I know you will love, but the old photos make it hard for me to convince you to make them. We eat with our eyes first, right?!
This pesto hummus is a long time favorite of mine and I wanted to (re)share it with you today because I think it will be much loved by all for back to school lunches. I've served it with crunchy, oven-toasted pita chips, but it would also be great in a sandwich.
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While the pesto hummus combo might sound a bit strange at first, it totally, 100% works.
Whether you're putting some in a lunch box, spreading it on a sandwich, serving it as a party appetizer or as a simple side with some chicken and salad, I know you're going to fall in love with pesto hummus.
Speaking of back to school …
A few weeks ago I opened an email from Groupon letting me know about a cool new product they have called Groupon Coupons. We all know about Groupon (no introduction needed!) but this was the first I'd heard of Groupon Coupons. They've partnered with tons of well-known online retailers to bring you coupon codes for online shopping AND printable coupons that you can take into your favorite stores.
Awesome!
The one that really caught my eye was the 90% off coupon for textbooks at Barnes & Noble. I remember how crazy expensive textbooks were when I was in school. I'd have anxiety about it every semester visiting the bookshop! Where were you when I needed you, Groupon Coupons?!
Original post date: May 1st, 2012
I'm having a hard time writing anything about this right now. No, I don't have writers block. I have fingers covered in bits of homemade pita chips and pesto hummus, and I can't stop eating for long enough to get out more than two words at a time.
It never occurred to me that pesto and hummus should shack up and get it on. I know hummus spends a good deal of time flirting with black olives and sometimes with roasted red pepper too, but this is the real deal. True love, a match made in heaven and all that other cheesy stuff.
Speaking of cheese, make sure you add the parmesan (of course you were going to anyway, right!) It's like the kinky side of pesto that hummus just can't get enough of.
I thought of trying to describe the flavour but I think you'll just have to make it and see. Each flavour really stands out without overpowering the other, and they work so well together (see the part about match made in heaven blah blah blah.)
I'd like to thank my Dad's wife Lisa for serving me pesto hummus last time I can for a visit. I was practically too full for dinner after eating almost all of it, but damn it was good!
If you make this Pesto Hummus make sure you snap a pic and tag @theendlessmeal on Instagram so I can like and comment on your photos. I love seeing TEM recipes you create!
- 2 - 14-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ - ½ cup olive oil (depending on how creamy you want it to be)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3-4 garlic cloves, grated with a Microplane or very finely minced
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Optional garnishes: olive oil, pesto, toasted pine nuts, parmesan
- 6 pieces of pita bread
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- A generous pinch of each: sea salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes
- Combine all the pesto hummus ingredients in a food processor and blend on high until smooth. Taste and season with extra sea salt, if needed. Top with any or all of the garnishes.
- Serve immediately or keep covered in your fridge for up to 5 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Cut the pita into triangles and tear them apart so that they are a single layer, instead of two triangles held together but the top seam.
- Toss with olive oil and spices. Bake in a single layer (ish) on a baking sheet for 10-12 minutes, turning half way.
The hummus pesto can also be served with veggies as a dip.
The original photos of this Pesto Hummus recipe:
If you’re interested in learning a few tricks that I did to improve my food photography, check out the posts 10 Food Photography Tips for New Food Bloggers and The 10 Best Food Photography Props to Improve Your Food Photography and The Food Photography Equipment I Use.
Kristen Stevens
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Hi, I’m Kristen! 
This Pesto Hummus should win awards. It is the best hummus in the entire world. Not that I have been around the entire world but I’m still positive it is. Love every recipe I have tried but this is truly award winning!!
Awww thank you so much! Your comment totally made my day. I’m so happy you like the recipe!!
My only complaint about this recipe would be the whole sharing thing. I’m sure others would want to eat some of it…and I would not want to share.
Ha ha! That’s a great complaint! 🙂
We eat hummus often and have begun making my own experimenting with different flavors. I made this one and it was super yummy!! Hubby declared it the best one I’ve made so far. I was surprised that your recipe didn’t call for any tahini though, which seems to be a staple ingredient in hummus. Is there a reason for no tahini? Btw, I love all of the recipes I’ve made from your site. Good for you food that tastes super good! Thank you for sharing! 😉
The best one? That’s awesome! To be honest, I initially made it without tahini because I had ran out and was too lazy to walk up to the store. But … I liked it so much that I never bothered to add it afterwards. I do still love tahini in regular hummus, though!
Oh my god this looks amazing! I love love love the pesto flavour hummus I get at the store but I bet the homemade version is even better 🙂 I’ll definitely be trying this!
Homemade is always better, isn’t it?! You should totally try it. 🙂
How much pesto do you put in the recipe?
Just follow the recipe as is. All the ingredients, except for the chickpeas, are pesto ingredients and what give the hummus its flavour.
Holy guacamole… err… hummus, Batman! When you’re right, you’re RIGHT! I had made some plain hummus and hubby and I couldn’t figure out what was missing. I added the fresh basil and {Voila!} C’est Magnifique! I didn’t realize till later that I had forgotten to add the parmesan cheese but just the added basil took my hummus from OK to Fab. Thanks for sharing. Now, i’m off to try my hand at making pita chips.
Wow thanks, Jen! Sounds like our taste buds like the same kind of tasty food. So happy you love basil in your hummus too 🙂
Shack up indeed–feasting my eyes on this now, and will be feasting my stomach on this shortly. Thanks for sharing, Kristen! If I eat enough of it before the Thanksgiving meal, it looks like there may be hope for my jeans after all… 😉
Thanks for this delicious recipe! I love making my own hummus so when I saw my other favorite thing, pesto, I knew I had to try it. So yummy!!!
No problem at all, Erin! So happy you loved it as much as I did!
I would love to have these for a snack.
I hope you make these to snack on!