Imagine you’re in Greece, walking through the alleys of Santorini and you find the perfect restaurant with a sea-side view of the Aegean Sea. You’re trying to figure out what to order and decide you’ll go with the classic chicken gyro. As they pour you a glass of wine, they ask if you’d like any appetizers, but you are unsure of what to get, so you respond with “give me the chef’s favorite” and take a leap of faith. A few minutes later you are served with the most beautiful platter of a layered hummus dip, accompanied by pita chips and cut veggies. You’re in awe of the range of bright colors from the cut-up vegetables atop of the dip, along with the aroma of the blended chickpeas and garlic. You’re so focused on this hummus dip, you completely forget about the entree that once had all your attention. You take a bite of a dipped pita chip, and your tastebuds are immersed with the savory hummus and the sweet peppers, you go in for another dip and get a few olives this time. You feel at peace with your once “risky” decision and now become completely satisfied with your choice.
And now, back to reality. While this is all just a made-up story, your dreams of eating this hummus dip can become a reality. Although you aren’t on the patio of a restaurant overlooking the Aegean Sea, you still have your backyard and the beautiful summer sun to give you the same feel. All you need now is that hummus dip to get you back to your fairytale dream vacay — good thing we have the perfect recipe to do that.
Just because we’re back to reality, doesn’t mean our tastebuds can’t still be on a Greek getaway!
Layered Hatch Chile Hummus Dip With Toasted Pita Chips
Ingredients
Hummus:
- 2 packages Melissa’s Peeled & Steamed Chickpeas
- 1 Melissa's seedless lemon juiced
- 2 cloves Melissa's Peeled Garlic
- 2/3 cup Tahini
- 6 New Mexico Hatch Chiles roasted; peeled; stemmed and seeded
- 1 pinch Koscher salt
Hummus toppings:
- 1 package Melissa's Pine Nuts
- 1 jar Melissa's Italian Style Basil Pesto
- 8 Melissa's Veggie Sweet Mini Peppers sliced into rounds
- 4 Melissa's Mini Cucumbers diced
- 1 cup Mini San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Feta Cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 3/4 cup Sliced Black Olives
- Fresh Chopped Cilantro for garnish
- 1 package 1 package Pita Bread, cut into triangles toasted
Instructions
- Place the chickpeas and the next 5 ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- In a dry sauté pan, add the pine nuts and toast them watching and stirring so that they don’t burn.
- In a clear 9x13 dish, spread the hummus evenly across the bottom. Beginning with the pine nuts, layer them and the next 7 ingredients. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve with the pita chips.
