Kid-Friendly Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I like teaching parents and kids how to prepare hummus because it’s the ultimate kid food (a smooth, creamy dip), keeps in the fridge all week long, and is easy to prepare. And most importantly, it’s a great source of protein - so it’s the perfect snack to serve with crackers or carrots right after school when everyone is cranky and needing an energy boost.

In my cooking classes, the kids prepare hummus old school style by mashing the garbonzo beans with a fork and then adding in tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, water and salt without measuring each ingredient. If you need more specific instructions, the following recipe  is a little more sophisticated but equally as delicious! Enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

After living in Israel and working in a kibbutz kitchen, I’m a hummus snob. I like making this recipe for parties because it can be made in under a half hour using canned beans and jarred roasted peppers. Though, if you take the time to make the beans from scratch and roast your own peppers, you’ll appreciate the difference in taste. The tofu can be omitted but it’s a great way to double the protein - especially for kids who don’t eat enough of it.

*1 large red pepper (or 4 oz of jarred roasted red peppers)
1 15 oz. can (or 2 cups cooked) garbonzo beans
4 oz. silken tofu, well-drained
¼ cup parsley, chopped
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime (or lemon) juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic (or jarred crushed garlic)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup sesame tahini
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

To roast pepper, preheat oven to broil. Make sure top oven rack is positioned so that the pepper will be 4-5 inches away from heat at the top of the oven. Place pepper on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast until black and charred, flipping with tongs when necessary. When the pepper is nearly all black, remove from oven and place in a metal bowl and cover with saran wrap to loosen skin. When peppers are cooled, gently peel skin off and remove all seeds. Save the oil released from the pepper during the roasting process. Cut 2 or 3 slices for garnish and set aside.

Blend the roasted pepper, beans, tofu, parsley, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, tahini and 1 teaspoon of salt in a food processor until desired consistency is achieved. Add in roasted pepper oil from pan or jar. Depending on your taste, add more garlic, lemon juice, olive oil or salt.

Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with slices of red pepper. This dish keeps for a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*For plain hummus, just leave out the red peppers and add in some extra olive oil to make the dish creamy.

Preparation time: 30 minutes (once beans are cooked or if using canned beans)
Serves 6
Recipe by Julie Negrin © 2008

HIRE YOUR KIDS AS SOUS CHEFS – they can:

-Kids can rip up the parsley leaves or cut with a butter knife.
-Roasting peppers is easy but peeling them is the perfect task to give to kids 6 and older as it’s more time-consuming than most parents would like.
-Kids love squeezing lemon and lime juice - or if you’re in a time pinch, buy the organic Santa Cruz bottle of fresh lemon juice.