Spicy and delicious. I get compliments every time.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 15 oz cans of chickpeas
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- * kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Carbohydrate 0.09918 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0015 g
- Fiber 0.00629999971389771 g
- Protein 0.01908 g
- Saturated Fat 0.000267 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (0g)
- Sodium 0.051 mg
- Sugar 0.0928800002861023 g
- Trans Fat 0.000453 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- On a cutting board and using the blade and flat side of a large, sharp knife, mince and mash the garlic and salt to make a paste.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the ceci beans with the garlic paste, tahini, onion, the 1/4 cup of oil, lemon juice, vinegar, red pepper, and honey. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. The texture of the paste should be that of spreadable peanut butter; if necessary, thin it with water and pulse again.
- Spread the bean paste on the bruschetta. Sprinkle with pine nuts, tarragon, and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve garnished with lemon wedges for squeezing over the bruschetta.
Mashing raw garlic directly with coarse kosher salt on a cutting board ruptures cell walls more efficiently than a standard knife chop, releasing sulfur compounds that mellow when immediately exposed to lemon juice. Acid halts the enzymatic reaction that causes raw garlic to taste aggressively sharp, creating a balanced aromatic base before the chickpeas enter the food processor. Tahini supplies essential sesame fats that must be thoroughly emulsified with the olive oil during pulsing; skipping this step results in an oily separation rather than a cohesive spread. If tahini is unavailable, toasted sesame paste functions as a direct one-to-one replacement, though it may yield a nuttier flavor profile due to darker roasting. Operating a standard 7-cup food processor requires scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula at least three distinct times to incorporate stubborn chunks clinging to the blades. Red pepper flakes distribute capsaicin throughout the continuous lipid phase, ensuring the heat disperses evenly across the palate rather than concentrating in isolated pockets. Reaching a consistency resembling smooth peanut butter demands patience, and streaming in cold water one tablespoon at a time prevents the motor from overheating while loosening dense chickpea starches. Storing the finished spread in an airtight glass container within the refrigerator for up to four days allows the flavors to meld fully while maintaining food safety standards.
