Red Mountain Spa Chicken Hummus
This simple and fast recipe for a protein-rich Chicken Hummus comes to us from Red Mountain Spa, a destination health spa in Utah.
Did you know the earliest known recipe for a hummus-type spread appears to have originated in the 13th century? In 13th century Cairo, a cookbook referenced a cold purée of chickpeas with vinegar and pickled lemons with herbs, spices, and oil — but no sesame or tahini which has subsequently become a traditional ingredient†.
Hummus is usually eaten with torn flatbread, (pita or lavosh) as a starter, and can be garnished with spices and herbs, drizzled oil, pine nuts, and even heartier fare, such as chopped tomato, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, whole chickpeas, and even hard-boiled eggs.
The simple addition of diced, roasted chicken in a lower-fat recipe for hummus elevates this ancient dish. After eliminating much of the fat calories (oil and tahini) but replacing it with protein-rich chopped chicken, flavor and satiety was the result. We had a “why didn’t we think of that?” moment.
Red Mountain Spa serves this as a starter with fresh vegetables for dipping. We enjoyed it stuffed into a tomato half and a bell pepper half, as a “take away salad.”
Ingredients
- 8 oz chicken breast roasted and diced
- 2 cups garbanzo beans cooked, low sodium
- 4 cloves fresh garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup pine nuts lightly roasted
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, blend garbanzo beans, salt, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth, adding a bit of water if necessary, until you have the consistency of nut butter.
- Add pine nuts, chopped cooked chicken, and pine nuts. Mix gently, and chillf or 1 hour, or until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Whether your goal is weight loss, improved athletic performance, stress relief, increased energy or simply trying something new, Red Mountain Resort offers an extensive range of enjoyable yet highly effective programs, fitness classes and workshops for all ages and abilities. Our fitness professionals can also create a customized program that assesses and addresses your specific needs.
†Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, John Wiley & Sons, 2010, By Gil Marks, page 270
Was really good with grilled chopped prawns, added.
This is great on a piece of lavosh flatbread, rolled up and eaten out of hand. It’s hearty enough for a satisfying sandwich but still has protein and healthy ingredients going on up in there.
I’m not sure why it never occurred to me to add chopped chicken to my hummus for extra protein and as an easy “chicken salad.” Really good and fast, if you use your already purchased favorite hummus, and really good, if you make this version. Both are easy and good.