Cauliflower Hummus with Cashew Crema by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan
August 19, 2022
Hummus has blown-up in recent years. What used to be defined and made only with chickpeas and tahini, has grown to embrace a myriad of vegetables and flavors. Twenty years ago, I never thought I would be eating ‘chocolate hummus’—and it’s delicious, BTW. So why cauliflower? It does seem like such a winter vegetable; smooth cauliflower soup recipes abound in January and February. But it’s being sold in the farmers’ markets now! And I know that long, slow cooking, will turn it into a sweet and delicious puree. The cashew crema is the substitute for the ubiquitous tahini. It is creamy, rich and smooth and adds a subtle, nutty background flavor. It’s simple to make, just soak unroasted and unsalted cashews overnight, drain, rinse and puree to a smooth nut-cream. And any leftovers can be saved to add to pasta dishes or used as a vegan-cream sauce.
- Prep: 40 mins
- Cook: 55 mins
- Yields: 1 ½ pints finished hummus
Ingredients
Cashew Crema
1 cup raw cashews, 4-5 ounces, unroasted and unsalted
Water to cover
Kosher salt to taste
Cauliflower Hummus
1-pound prepared cauliflower flowerets, (or cut-up a 1 ½ pound whole cauliflower)
½ cup sweet or Spanish onions, finely diced
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided (plus more as needed)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon ground cumin seed
½ teaspoon ground coriander seed
¼ to ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3-4 tablespoons prepared cashew crema from above
½ cup cooked chickpeas (from a 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to your taste
Directions
cashew crema
Begin this recipe the day before; that is rinse and soak the cashews and leave soaking overnight, in the fridge, covered with water. Drain and puree in the food processor with 2 tablespoons fresh water. Puree to a smooth texture. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time to achieve a puree-like texture. Not too thin, not too thick! Add a pinch or two of kosher salt. And taste. Set aside.
cauliflower hummus
If you are using a whole head of cauliflower, you will need to cut it into small chunks/ flowerets, about 2-inches each. For instructions on how to ‘break-down’ a head of cauliflower, type ‘cauliflower’ in our “search-recipes” feature and several of my previous cauliflower-involved recipes will pop-up.
I guess I like cauliflower!
Sauté the diced onions in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. Use low heat, add a pinch or two of kosher salt and stir well to combine. Cook, covered, until the onions have softened a bit and are fragrant. Add the sliced garlic and the dried cumin and coriander. Stir to combine. Cook the garlic and spices for a couple of minutes, again, over low heat. This will ‘bloom’ the spices and soften the garlic without burning it.
Uncover the pot and add the prepared cauliflower pieces, another couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir well to combine. Cover the pot and turn heat to low and cook gently for 34 to 45 minutes. Remove lid and stir every 5 minutes. It’s OK to break up the pieces as they sweat down and soften. The ‘cruciferous’ odor will soften as well. It will smell yummy after a while, I promise.
Taste it. Add a bit of lemon juice. Let it cool down for 10-15 minutes.
To Finish
Add the cooked cauliflower mix and the ½ cup cooked chickpeas to the food processor and puree until partly smooth. Stop the machine, remove the cover and add 3-4 tablespoons of the prepared cashew crema. Continue to process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Add more cashew crema if you like. It should be the texture of hummus.
Refrigerate or serve at room temperature with pita chips, za’atar bread from our Middle Eastern Bay Sweets Market and vegetables.
