When I make Middle Eastern Tabouleh Salad I usually want some hummus to go along with it. Being made from basically chickpeas, this is far from a low-carbers “safe” food to eat. But I recently I saw where some make it with cauliflower for much lower carb count. But when I tried it myself, I added just a few cooked chick peas for the flavor boost. Very good that way. Next trial, I used a little chickpea flour I keep in my pantry. Much better than opening a whole can of chickpeas for just a few.
Man, if you’re craving hummus, this is really good. I honestly couldn’t really tell it apart from the carb-laden variety made with all chickpeas! This recipe is not suitable until the legumes rung of the OWL ladder. The bread sticks pictured are made from 1 slice of my focaccia bread
NOTE: This hummus is not so great leftover. The cauliflower taste gets much stronger on day 2. So only make up as much as you think will get consumed completely the day you make it. I recommend making a half recipe the first time around to be sure you like and can eat it all.
INGREDIENTS:
16 oz. cauliflower
2 T. tahini paste (sesame seed butter)
2 T. chickpea flour (or ¼ c. cooked chickpeas. mashed up well)
1 T. fresh lemon juice
½ clove garlic, minced
dash salt
1 T. olive oil (for the hummus mixture)
¼ c. olive oil for top garnish
Dash paprika for garnish
parsley sprig to garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Steam cauliflower over boiling water until tender. Lift out of pot and put into food processor. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the ¼ c. olive oil, paprika and parsley sprig. Blend until smooth. Scrape out onto serving dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Drizzle with ¼ c. olive oil, allowing some to pool around the edges. Garnish with sprig of parsley (or chopped) and serve with your favorite low-carb breadsticks or crackers. I personally love this stuff best when served with Tabouleh Salad and black or kalamata olives. The flavors are wonderful together!
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 2 cups or around five servings. Each serving contains:
196 cals, 17.76 g fat, 8.04 g carbs, 3.16 g fiber, 4.88 g NET CARBS, 3.46 g protein, minimal sodium. Check out the other nutrients: 70% RDA Vitamin C, 18% B6, 16% E, 20% copper, 16% iron, 18% manganese, 15% phosphorous, and 14% thiamin. A veritable medicine bottle, this one.
Buttoni's Low-Carb Recipes 