Dressed Hummus

vegan starter middle-eastern beginner dinner-party mezze
⏱ 3 min ✋ 3 min active 🍽 4-6

Ottolenghi / Israeli style

Ingredients

  • 400 g good quality hummus (Harringay shops > supermarket)
  • Generous EVOO
  • Sumac
  • Pul biber
  • Handful whole chickpeas (optional)
  • Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

  1. Spread hummus in a shallow bowl, use back of spoon to make a swirl with a well in the centre
  2. Into the well: generous glug of EVOO
  3. Scatter: sumac, pul biber, whole chickpeas
  4. Finish with fresh parsley

Key Details

  • The swirl with a well is the Israeli/Ottolenghi presentation, looks stunning, takes 10 seconds
  • Sumac + pul biber + olive oil is exactly what you’d get in Tel Aviv
  • Buy hummus from the Turkish or Lebanese shops on Green Lanes, the supermarket version is not the same product

Variations

  • Add a soft-boiled egg halved on top for a more substantial starter
  • Pine nuts toasted in butter + cumin on top (Turkish-style)
  • Harissa swirled through for a spicy version
  • Serve warm (microwave briefly, stir), warm hummus hits differently

Pairs well with

  • Warm flatbreads torn and kept in a tea towel
  • Confit chillies in oil (serve alongside as a mezze spread)
  • As part of a full mezze: hummus + confit chillies + flatbread + olives

Notes & learnings

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