This wild garlic hummus recipe is a simple chickpea dip with the addition of fresh wild garlic leaves, or ransoms as they are also known. It has a mild garlic flavour, creamy texture and a lovely pale green colour. Wild garlic hummus is very nutritious and great as a healthy savoury snack or addition to lunch.
What you'll love about the recipe
- If you're lucky enough to have wild garlic growing nearby, this is a simple way to make the most of this fresh springtime seasonal herb. You can also forage it for free!
- Wild garlic has a more mellow flavour than garlic bulbs, so you can use it without fear that it's going to over power other flavours
- This easy wild garlic hummus recipe takes just 10 minutes to make with just a few ingredients. It's just a simple variation of homemade hummus which substitutes the regular bulb garlic with fresh green wild garlic
- Chickpeas are a highly nutritious source of plant protein. They are an excellent source of folate and a number of other vitamins and minerals including iron
- Making your own hummus is really cost effective. It's also additive free and cuts down on packaging
- Vegan, gluten-free and dairy free
When to pick wild garlic
Wild garlic is in season in spring in the UK. It tends to grow in shady areas of established woodland. It's quite prolific where I live, and has now self-seeded in my garden!
If you are foraging for wild garlic make sure you consult a good guide and know what you are picking. When you rub the leaves, they should give off a strong scent of garlic. You'll also need to forage away from areas where people are likely to have walked their dogs, or where there is heavy traffic.
Wild garlic leaves are best used when they are young and bright green. You can also use the flowers for decoration on your wild garlic hummus, but they can be a little more pungent! You'll only need a few leaves for this recipe, so there should be plenty left for wildlife.
If you love wild garlic you can also make wild garlic pesto or salsa verde (green sauce) with wild garlic . Or try this super green soup recipe. Just replace all or part of the greens with wild garlic. You can also add it to recipes as a replacement for spinach.
Ingredients
Cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans). I used a can of cooked chickpeas for this recipe. A 400g can will have about 240g of chickpeas once it has been drained. Reserve the can liquor to use in the recipe, although you can also use water if you no longer have it.
Olive oil. I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil as it's healthier and adds a good flavour to this wild garlic hummus. You could also use another healthy oil if you prefer.
Wild garlic. You'll need about 8-10 leaves for this recipe. Wash them well in running water before using.
Salt and pepper. Season according to your personal taste.
Lemon juice also seasons and balances the flavour of wild garlic hummus.
Variations
I make this wild garlic hummus without tahini as it's not something that I tend to have in my store cupboard. But it is an ingredient in many classic chickpea dips, so if you want you to you can add a tablespoonful of tahini (ground sesame seed paste) to this recipe too.
You can also add extra spices to the basic recipe if you want. Cumin goes well with the flavours of hummus, or add a tiny pinch of cayenne or paprika if you want a hint of heat.
How to make wild garlic hummus
This recipe is incredibly simple and will take just a few minutes to make. You can either use a small food processor, a blender or an immersion blender. If you've got a high powered blender, you may get a smoother texture than I did, as there were still little flecks of green leaf in mine.
Add the chickpeas, roughly chopped wild garlic leaves, olive oil and 4 tablespoons of chickpea liquor or water to the blender.
Blitz until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the last tablespoon of chickpea juice/water gradually until you get the consistency that you'd like. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender once or twice. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Expert tips
If you use chickpeas regularly, it's worth cooking up a big bag of dried chickpeas. I cook them in the slow cooker so that I can leave them unattended. They can then be frozen in convenient portions. Cooking your own chickpeas is cheaper and also cuts down on the cans in your recycling!
Serving and storage
Serve your wild garlic hummus cold, either as a snack or as part of a meal. I like it as a chickpea dip or spread with some crudites of carrot and celery, and a savoury muffin, or a couple of slices of seed bread.
You could also slather it onto these wholemeal flatbreads (or a gluten free version if needed!). It also makes a great topping for baked potatoes, and a tasty chickpea sandwich spread.
Wild garlic hummus will store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Like other hummus recipes, this will freeze well. Freeze in an airtight container and defrost overnight in the fridge. You can also freeze some wild garlic leaves in springtime in order to make another batch of the recipe at a later date.
Frequently asked questions
Wild garlic goes very well with a wide section of meats and vegetables. Try it with Spring lamb, or add some very finely chopped wild garlic leaves to a potato salad. It's also ideal for making soups and a simple pesto to serve with pasta.
No, actually I find leafy wild garlic to be milder in taste than bulb garlic. It's slightly mellower and sweeter. I also find that the flavour is less pervasive, so that later in the day I can't tell that I've eaten it! It's best to pick fresh, bright green young garlic leaves however as they can get a little bitter later in the season.
Provided that you are not trespassing, it's legal to pick wild garlic leaves for personal consumption. (If you are in any doubt, check local bylaws.) However, do forage responsibly and take only what you need. Note that it is illegal to dig up any part of the plant. If you want to get wild garlic growing in your garden, try sowing some seed. Note that it can be invasive however!
Other healthy savoury snacks you might like
Other foraging recipes
If you enjoy foraging, you might also like to try these recipes. They are all quick and easy to make, and best of all you can get the key ingredients for free:)
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Recipe
Wild Garlic Hummus
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 240 g cooked chickpeas or a 400g can of chickpeas
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 tablespoon water or chickpea cooking liquor
- handful wild garlic leaves about 8-10 leaves
- squeeze lemon juice
- seasoning to taste
Instructions
- If using canned chickpeas, drain and reserve the liquor.
- Wash the wild garlic leaves well in running water. Remove the stems and roughly chop.
- Add the chickpeas, wild garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, seasoning and 4 tablespoons of water or cooking liquor to the blender.
- Blitz until smooth, adding the extra tablespoon of water if necessary. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender once or twice and re-blitz.
Notes
- If liked, you can also add a tablespoon of tahini to the recipe.
- You can also add spices such as ground cumin or a pinch of cayenne or paprika.
- If you are foraging wild garlic, please consult a good foraging guide and pick responsibly.
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