Fennel and Rosemary Hummus with Flatbread Crisps
This Fennel and Rosemary Hummus with Flatbread Crisps is one of our favorite summer appetizers. What could be more summery than Lemony Hummus, filled with fennel seed and rosemary, and accompanied by crispy homemade crackers? On a hot day, cold hummus makes a very nice and refreshing appetizer. And, nothing will wow your guests more than homemade crackers.
The Equipment I Used
- The Spice Grinder- You will need this to grind up your fennel seeds. I use a $20 spare coffee grinder, not the grinder I use for my coffee though. If you don’t have a coffee grinder, you could use a mortar and pestle to grind up you fennel seeds. I also used my spice grinder to grind up the fresh rosemary.
- The Food Processor- If you don’t have a food processor, you could try grinding the chickpeas up in a blender.
The Ingredients Needed for Fennel and Rosemary Hummus with Flatbread Crisps
- The chickpeas- I always use dried beans, but you could certainly substitute 2 cups of canned beans. If you’re using dried beans, you can soak them covered in water overnight in the refrigerator instead of the first boiling of them, and letting them sit for an hour.
- The fennel seed and rosemary- If you don’t like these spices and herbs you can leave them out.
- The garlic- This is not very garlicky hummus, so if you want lots of garlic add more.
- The olive oil- This is a recipe in which using a higher quality extra virgin olive oil can be nice. But, if you’re trying to save money, any olive oil will do.
- The cake flour- Using this in the crackers makes them a bit more delicate. If you don’t have cake flour, all purpose flour is fine.
- The wine- If you don’t have wine, just use milk instead.
How I Made my Hummus
To make this recipe, I first boiled my chickpeas. While the chickpeas cooked, I made the crackers. The crackers are very easy to make, and don’t mess up the kitchen the way some other doughs do. I made ravioli last night and it made a huge mess in my kitchen. These crackers, however, were a very tidy affair.
The hummus is a very easy recipe, too. I enjoy eating it well chilled, so it’s good to make it a few hours before dinner. It is excellent the next day as well. Along with the crackers, I served this hummus with cut up carrots and radishes. My pickiest eater wouldn’t go near the hummus but did like the crackers, so I consider that a win. This is a great dish to serve to company, because it can be made ahead and then whipped out when your guests arrive. And, even serious bakers will be impressed that you took the time to make your own crackers, with seasonings to match the hummus!
Fennel and Rosemary Hummus with Flatbread Crisps
Equipment
- Food processor
- Rolling Pin
- spice grinder
Ingredients
For the Fennel Seed and Rosemary Hummus:
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 2 cloves sliced garlic
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, ground up
- 1 tsp. fennel seed, ground up
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. pine nuts
For the Fennel Seed and Rosemary Flatbread Crisps:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. crushed fennel seeds
- 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup white wine
- ⅓ cup whole milk
Instructions
For the Fennel and Rosemary Hummus:
- Rinse the chickpeas and then place in a 3 quart saucepan. Fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Boil for three minutes, and then take it off the flame and let it sit for one hour. Drain and rinse the beans.
- Put the beans back in a pot and cover with water. Simmer the beans until they're tender, for about 90 minutes. You may need to add additional water.
- Drain the beans and put them in the food processor. Add all the other ingredients, except for the pine nuts. Process the ingredients until smooth and fluffy.
- Put the hummus in a bowl and top with the pine nuts, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. S
For the Fennel Seed and Rosemary Flatbread Crisps:
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flours, salt, fennel, and rosemary.
- Sprinkle on the olive oil and rub it into the flour until large flakes appear.
- Mix together the milk and wine, and stir them into the flour. The dough should be soft, but not wet. Add more flour if necessary, until a ball of dough is formed.
- Divide the dough in half, and roll out each part on a lightly floured parchment paper. Try to roll it out evenly, as thinly as possible.
- Score the crackers into 2×4 rectangles, trimming the edge scraps, and rerolling them. Sprinkle with additional salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes, and then turn over, and bake for 10 minutes more. Cool the crackers on a wire rack and then break apart when cool.
