Garlicky Kale Hummus / Gail Ingram Photography
Looking for a healthier, tastier twist on a classic appetizer?
A Greener & Healthier Hummus
Although hummus of any sort is always a healthy choice, this “Clean Cuisine” Green Garlicky Kale Hummus is ultra healthy not only because of the dark leafy green kale (a superior source of phytonutrients, vitamins and antioxidants) but also because it is oil-free—the rich and creamy texture comes from cashews. Although there is nothing wrong with using certain oils such as monounsaturated fat rich extra virgin olive oil or omega-3 rich flax oil and hemp oil it is always optimal to get your fats in “whole” form from nuts, seeds, avocados, etc. (note: If you want to really boost the nutrition of your Garlicky Kale Hummus up a notch further try soaking the cashews in water for 1 or 2 hours. Soaking nuts–seeds too!– in water improves their digestibility and increases their overall nutritional profile.)
Serving Hummus
Garlicky Kale Hummus is scrumptious on toasted sprouted whole grain crostini. To make sprouted whole grain crostini, use kitchen shears to remove the crusts from 4 or 5 slices of sprouted whole grain bread (such as Ezekiel 4:9 Food for Life “7 Sprouted Grains Bread”). Cut the bread diagonally, forming triangles. Use a small basting brush and lightly brush the tops of each piece of bread with extra virgin olive oil. Season bread with salt. Place bread triangles in a 400 degree oven and toast for 10 to 12 minutes, until brown and crispy. Remove from oven and spread with Garlicky Kale Hummus (recipe below.)
Garlicky Kale Hummus is also incredible when spread on a grilled Portobello and dusted with Basil Pine Nut Crumble (to make the crumble just put ¼ cup fresh basil and ¼ cup pine nuts in a mini food processor and process into crumbs.)
Garlicky Kale Hummus
Yields: 10 or 12 servings
- 4 cups kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 4 or 5 cloves garlic
- 1 can (15 ounces) BPA-free organic garbanzo beans (such as Eden brand), rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- “Real Salt”, to taste
- Fill the bottom of a steamer with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add kale to the steamer basket and cover. Steam for 5 minutes, or until very soft. Remove kale from steamer basket and set aside to cool (pat kale dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.)
- Place water, cashews and garlic in a high speed blender (such as a VitaMix) and process until smooth and creamy. Add the garbanzo beans, steamed kale, lemon juice, cumin and salt to taste. Process until smooth and creamy.
P.S. Garlicky Kale Hummus will keep for 3 days if stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
How sweet!! Thank you so much Gloria. I hope you like it. Do let me know
This actually reminds me of Guacamole in looks, I really like hummus and the health benefits it has are just a plus when trying to decide which dip would be best to have at a party. It sounds like you have a few people that are going to give it a try this holiday season, me being one of them. I know it will be delicious because all of your recipes to date have been, I really liked the Butternut Squash Spice Bread, but I like Zucchini bread as well so I knew I would. I have bookmarked your web site because of the recipes and the articles, so far I haven’t found anything I didn’t like about it. Keep up the good work.
Pat – Please let us know what you think once you have tried it.
Thanks so much and please let me know how it goes over at the Christmas party!
Thank you so much Stacey! I am sure you will get it.
that looks great!
I personally don’t like the taste of kale but I recognize the massive health benefits of the really dark leafy vegetables. I do however love hummus so I am going to make this (or more accurately, help my girlfriend make it) soon and see if I can get the same taste with the extra health & vitamin boost.
Just in the past couple of years I have developed a liking for hummus, I never knew exactly what it was made out of and the texture and color etc. you have to admit is not the most appealing thing to try and eat. But over the past couple of years I got on this health kick and I researched it and found out that it was made out of a bean and that is was basically a very healthy dip. So I tried it and now I have been known to eat just Hummus and pita chips for lunch. This sounds like a really good recipe, I love garlic so I am sure it is delicious. I am going to print the recipe and make some for the Christmas party this year, thank you so much for the idea.
I’ve heard a lot about hummus and I think I may have unwittingly tasted it in a dish before. This recipe though invigorated my interest in hummus because of the protein it contains from the cashew nuts. I am always looking to infuse protein into my meals and snacks because of the role that protein plays in your body’s ability to burn fat. I must admit that I can be lazy about preparing recipes, even if they are tasty, healthy and worth the effort. By the same token, I also know that this recipe is quick and easy to prepare. For me it is just a matter of getting used to paying attention to details. Thanks again for another tasty, healthy recipe.