Jalapeño Houmous


This is only a slight variation on my other houmous recipe, but does ring the changes nicely. You can be as brave as you like with the peppers - this recipe is moderately zingy, but if you like more spice, add more peppers. Be aware that the food processor doesn't seem to like chopping the jalapeños up very small. I like this little sharp explosions of flavour within the mix, but if you prefer a smoother finish and a more consistently flavoured mix, I recommend chopping up the peppers up by hand from the jar before you add. There are less syns in this and marginally more speed than the basil variation and works really well as part of a mexican snack platter and is delicious when served with Finn Crisp crackers as here.


As with all recipes and meal plans on the blog I have highlighted the protein sources (P foods) in red, the speed (S) foods in green, healthy extra allowances in blue and syns, with syn values in brackets in orange.  

Jalapeño Houmous

Makes 3 generous portions as a dip or spread - 0.5 syn per portion 

1 tin chickpeas, drained
1 tin butter beans, drained
Juice of half a lemon / 3 tbsps of lemon juice
1 tsp light tahini (1.5 syns)
3 crushed cloves garlic / 1 tbsp garlic granules 
2 tbsp sliced, jarred jalapeño's - red or green
Ground seasalt

You will need a food processor with a cutting blade or a hand stuck blender - you could try to do this
with a potato masher, but it would probably take a lot of welly!

Add the jalepenos to the food processor with add a grind of seasalt to add friction and draw out the liquid from the peppers. Pulse the processor to chop or blend. 

Now add the drained chickpeas and butter beans to the food processor and turn on to start blending. 

Drizzle the lemon juice through the funnel of the food processor as it turns to allow more movement in the mixture as the beans begin to emulsify. 

As it becomes to come together as a paste (about 2 minutes on full power on my processor) pause and add the garlic and tahini.

Blend further for another minute - check regularly to see if the consistency you desire is being achieved - if it is thick and not blending easily add further lemon juice with a splash of water. 

Once you are happy with the consistency and thickness, spoon into a dish and sprinkle with smoked paprika before serving. 



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