Black garlic hummus
Have you ever heard of
black garlic?
You may have seen it at the farmers market or come across it somewhere online, and noticed the price thinking “what do you even do with black garlic?”… Well, first I’m going to tell you why you should consider giving black garlic a try, despite it’s cringe-worthy price tag. Although it looks burnt, it is actually just regular white garlic that’s been fermented for about a month, giving it a rich caramelized, almost balsamic flavour to it. We’ve all heard that garlic is good for us, so what makes black garlic different? When regular white garlic is cut or crushed, it produces a nutrient called allicin which can help reduce inflammation and provides other antioxidant benefits. Now, black garlic has a much higher content of allicin, is rich in amino acids and has almost double the amount of antioxidants when compared to white garlic. Black Garlic also contains an additional very specific compound called S-Allycysteine (SAC) in very high concentrations, compared to White Garlic, which is water soluble and thus absorbed easily within the body. S-Allylcysteine has been shown to assist with the absorption of allicin. This makes Black Garlic much more beneficial than White Garlic! So when it comes to actually eating it and using it in recipes, the possibilities are endless. Once you taste it a couple times, you’ll get a better idea of what type of recipes to use it in. So far i’ve tried it just plain on crackers, in vegan cashew cheeses and now in this hummus and I just love the flavour it adds.
Recipe tips:
This recipe tastes even better after it’s chilled in the fridge for 2-4 hours
For extra smooth hummus, rinse chickpeas and peal them by pinching the skins off. It takes a little extra time, but you will definitely notice the difference in texture!
My favourite way to eat this hummus is with sliced cucumbers.
Black garlic hummus
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1.5 cups
ingredients
3-5 cloves of black garlic
3-4 roasted garlic cloves
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tahini
pinch of cumin
pinch of paprika
hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds for garnish
method
Roast a head of garlic by slicing the top off, ensure each clove is exposed, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil, cover and roast in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. * if time is an issue, remove the skin and roughly chop 4 cloves of garlic and sauté over low heat with a little bit of oil for 7-10 minutes or until cooked through.
add all ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth
Top with another pinch of cumin and paprika, and a handful of hemp hearts and pumpkin seeds.