Smoked Garlic Houmous Dressing

Houmous is something of a summer staple, either as a tasty dip for crudités like raw carrots and cucumber, or thinned down - as here - and used in place of a salad dressing for a nutritious alternative. Using Smoked Garlic in this recipe, instead of the more typical raw garlic cloves, removes any trace of acridity that humous made with fresh garlic can sometimes have. Our smoked garlic is gently hot smoked, which infuses it with a uniquely smokey flavour throughout the bulb. It's also excellent when used to stuff a whole roast chicken or in Dauphinoise Potatoes.

A food processor makes short work of preparation for this houmous-style dressing, but you could also mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher, and then whisk all the ingredients together by hand if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 3-4 cloves of smoked garlic (or more if you prefer!)
• Tin of chickpeas, drained to leave around 240g chickpeas
• 2 tbsp tahini (available from health food shops or supermarkets)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 40g lemon juice, or juice of 1 large lemon
• 20g water, or a little more
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• Pine nuts or cashew halves, toasted gently in a dry pan.

Method

1. Finely mince the smoked garlic cloves, or blitz them in a food processor. Crushing the soft cloves in a traditional garlic press leaves too much of the clove - and that all-important smoked flavour - behind, so it's best to chop the smoked cloves by hand. Our Garlic Twist Cross Cutter is a good alternative if you'd like a short cut.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to your food processor and blitz to a smooth consistency.
3. Continue to add water if your houmous is too thick to pour, using a whisk to combine thoroughly.
4. Drizzle the houmous dressing over your favourite salad leaves, or enjoy with avocado and Isle of Wight tomatoes.
5. Top with toasted pine-nuts or cashews, to add some crunch and extra protein to this dish.