MOROCCAN CARROT HUMMUS DIP

Moroccan Carrot Hummus Dip image

This hummus is super creamy, sweet and light from mixing steamed carrots, cumin and orange in with the traditional chickpeas and tahini. Yogurt adds some tang and a pesto made from the carrot tops adds a salty earthy bite. If you don't have carrots with tops, just double the mint.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories appetizer

Time 1h5m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 bunches medium carrots with nice tops
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1/3 cup tahini, well-stirred
Kosher salt
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
Toasted pita triangles, for serving

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pine nuts on one side of a baking sheet and the cumin seeds on the other side, not mixing the two together. Toast the nuts and spices until fragrant and browning in spots, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool.
Cut the tops off the carrots and reserve. Peel the carrots and chop them into 1-inch pieces.
Fill a medium wide-mouthed pot with 2 inches of water. Set a collapsible steamer basket insert into the pot, then bring to a simmer over high heat. Put the carrots in the steamer basket and cook, covered, until the largest pieces are tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 12 minutes.
Puree the carrots and chickpeas with a food processor until blended. Add the orange juice, tahini, reserved cumin seeds and 2 teaspoons salt and continue to process until the mixture is smooth and light and very well blended, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Transfer the carrot hummus to a medium bowl and reserve.
Pick 1/2 cup packed leaves off of the stems of the carrot tops and reserve. Discard the stems. Pulse the garlic and all but 1 teaspoon of the pine nuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the carrot top leaves, mint, 1/4 teaspoon salt and all but 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest and pulse until finely chopped. With the processor on, slowly drizzle in the oil and process until blended well.
Spread half of the carrot hummus in the bottom of a medium glass serving bowl. Spread 1/2 cup Greek yogurt on top. Spread the remaining carrot hummus over that. Spread the pesto into a wide circle in the center and drop a dollop of the remaining 1/4 cup yogurt in the center of the pesto. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon pine nuts and 1/4 teaspoon orange zest. Serve with toasted pita triangles.