Roasted Red Pepper Houmous (Roasted Capsicum Hummus)

As my Haricot Bean Houmous (Navy Bean Hummus) turned out so well, I decided to have another go at it but experiment with the flavours. I love Roasted Red Pepper Houmous so I decided to re-create that version using fresh ingredients instead of a store-bought version full of preservatives and fillers.

The basic recipe is exactly the same as for my standard version of the Houmous, just with the added step of roasting the peppers first. I used Haricot (Navy) Beans as they’re allowed on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet that I follow, unlike chickpeas. I really don’t think you can tell the difference at all once they’re blended into a Houmous. However, if you can tolerate chickpeas you could always use them instead of the Haricot (Navy) Beans in this recipe.

The first step is to Roast the Red Peppers (Capsicum). Begin by preheating the oven to 180C (350F). Slice up the peppers (capsicum) into large slices, removing the stalk and the seeds. Place the slices onto a large baking tray and drizzle with 2tbsps of olive oil. Season well with plenty of salt and black pepper. Then make sure the pepper (capsicum) is well coated with the oil and seasoning. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until soft and the edges are just beginning to blacken. Remove and set aside to cool.

Roasted Red Pepper Houmous (Roasted Capsicum Hummus) by Emma Eats & Explores - Grainfree, Glutenfree, Refined Sugarfree, Dairyfree, SCD, Vegan, Vegetarian & Low Carb

When the peppers (capsicum) are cooled you are ready to make the Houmous. Peel the skin off of the peppers and discard. The skins wont break down enough in the food processor and you’ll end up with bits in your Houmous so it’s best to discard them at this point. Now, rinse and drain the tinned Haricot (Navy) Beans and add to a food processor along with the garlic, lemon juice and tahini. Add the peeled, roasted peppers (capsicum) reserving one slice for garnish at the end.

Blitz in the food processor on full power for a couple of minutes until well combined. Then, drizzle the remaining olive oil through the opening in the top of the food processor while it is still running, until the required consistency is achieved. you want a paste like consistency that will work for dipping so don’t make it too runny. Season well with salt and pepper to taste and then blitz again for another few minutes until completely smooth.

Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with the rest of the roasted pepper (capsicum), a pinch of paprika and some coriander (cilantro) leaves.Delicious, fresh and tangy with a hint of sweet, smokiness from the roasted peppers. It’s a perfect snack to have before a meal and you could serve it with Almond Flour Crackers or some vegetable crudités. Or, spread onto a couple of slices of my Grain Free Olive & Rosemary Bread it could make a healthy satisfying lunch. I also think it would go amazingly well with some Baked Parmesan Crackers that I’m working on so watch this space for the recipe.

Now I’m keen to try out even more flavour combinations. I’m thinking Lemon & Coriander Houmous next? Or maybe Spicy Piri-Piri flavour? Any recommendations – let me know in the comments!