Recipes

Hummus with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms

  • Serves

    makes 6 Cups

TODD COLEMAN

Chef Michael Solomonov gave us the recipe for this silky, cumin-laced chickpea spread, which gets contrasting texture and a savory boost from a tangle of mushrooms. It's served at Solomonov's restaurant Zahav in Philadelphia. This recipe first appeared in the 2012 SAVEUR 100, with the article Zahav.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pine nuts
  • 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • 1 lb. thinly sliced mushrooms, preferably hen of the woods or oyster
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 14 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 12 oz. tahini (available at Amazon)
  • 6 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
  • Paprika, to garnish

Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 300°. Toss pine nuts and olive oil in a bowl until evenly coated. Transfer to a baking sheet; bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Pour canola oil to a depth of 2″ in a 6-qt. Dutch oven; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. working in batches, add mushrooms, and fry until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt.

Step 2

Make the hummus: Process lemon juice and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Add tahini, chickpeas, cumin, and salt; puree. Spread on bottom of a serving dish, forming a shallow well in center; fill well with mushrooms and pine nuts. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika, and drizzle with olive oil.