Preserved Lemon Hummus with Mint

Preserved Lemon Hummus with mint is fresh, tasty and delightfully healthy. Lively citrus and herb flavours make this a moreish snack, lunch or party nibble. It will soon become one of your favourite recipes with preserved lemon.

This preserved lemon hummus with mint always gets raved over when I make a batch. And it never lasts long.

Confession: I really do have a love-hate relationship with hummus. I hate the regular store-bought greyish-beige stuff but I adore homemade hummus.

For me, food has to be visually appealing before I allow it to pass my lips. In the case of hummus, adding a touch of colour and a few chunks to the blend goes along way. That’s perhaps why I much prefer homemade since I can leave a little texture in the mix and boost the flavour and hue with a few extra add ins.

My additions of choice today are preserved lemon and fresh mint.

What is Preserved Lemon?

Preserved lemons (aka lemon pickle) is a North African condiment.

To make it, lemons are either diced, quartered, halved or left whole and pickled in a brine of water, lemon juice, and salt. Some recipes call for a few additional ingredients such as garlic or mustard seeds, but these are not essential.

The lemons are left to brine for several weeks, or even months, before using to add flavour to stews, tagines and sauces.

Tastewise, preserved lemons are mildly tart, salty and intensely lemony. Recipes with preserved lemon tend to use just a small quantity since the flavour is quite potent.

I used store bought preserved lemons in this recipe but if you want to have a go at making your own then head over to The Daring Gourmet for a recipe. It’s very straightforward, involves just four ingredients (if you count water) and the result will grace your store cupboard shelves for weeks to come.

Why Use them in Hummus?

Quite simply, the salty and sour qualities of preserved lemon adds a sublime and intense citrus flavour to the hummus.

Of course, they pair splendidly with fresh mint, which adds herbaceous freshness and a subtle speckle of colour throughout the hummus. The result is a healthy yet enticing bowl of savoury, zesty, herby, textured goodness.

Recipe Instructions

I like my hummus fairly thick and with a bit of texture. Ergo I often find the supermarket versions a little too smooth for my tastes. So it’s a good thing that this lemon hummus is quick and easy to prepare :

• Rinse the preserved lemon and pat dry with kitchen towel. Slice into quarters and remove any pips
• Remove the mint leaves from the stalks
• Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid
• Put the lemon, chickpeas, oil, tahini, mint leaves and ¼ teaspoon salt into a food processor and blend until desired consistency is reached, adding a little reserved liquid from the chickpeas as necessary
• Taste and season with extra salt and black pepper as required
• Serve in a bowl with a fresh mint sprig and a drizzle of olive oil

This preserved lemon hummus with mint is best eaten fresh on the day it is made since the mint leaves do discolour quickly.

Leftovers can, however, be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. They will still be tasty, but they just won’t look so vibrant as when first made.

Recipe Tips

As stated, the perk of homemade is being in control of the final texture and taste. Here are my tips for achieving the perfect lemon hummus for your own preferences:

• Run the processor until your desired texture is reached – keep it thick and chunky or run for a few more seconds to achieve a smoother finish
• If it’s too thick, add a splash of the reserved liquid from the can of chickpeas and blend in
• Not into mint? Leave it out or replace with either fresh coriander or a dash of Ras El Hanout spice blend
• Season to satisfy your own tastes
• Garnish to your hearts content – a drizzle of olive oil, some toasted chickpeas or even a handful of seeds can all help hummus dress to impress

What Can I Use this For

I hesitate to call hummus a dip. It’s so much more really. Here are a few of the ways I like to use hummus:

• served with falafel wraps. Just a thin layer spread on the bread gives a real boost of flavour to the wrap
• as the spreadable star ingredient in a vegan or vegetarian sandwich. Just make sure the other elements complement the flavour of the hummus used and add extra crunch to make that sarnie sparkle
• Underlying a nutritious salad – just scrape a spoonful across a plate and load the salad on top
• and of course, served as a dip alongside breadsticks, crudities & tortilla chips

Now, let’s get dipping and scooping.

More Recipes with Preserved Lemon

Imagine purchasing a jar and not knowing how many recipes with preserved lemon are out there to choose from. Here are a couple of good ones:

• Goat cheese crostini with preserved-lemon & balsamic-drizzle
• Chickpea & rocket salad

Find More Dips to try:

• Avocado & Feta
• Lighter paprika dip
• White bean & sundried tomato
• Beetroot & tahini dip

Preserved Lemon & Mint Hummus

Jane Coupland

Preserved Lemon & Mint Hummus is fresh, tasty and delightfully healthy. Lively citrus and herb flavours make this a morish snack, lunch or party nibble.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetiser/ Nibble, Side Dish

Cuisine: Worldwide

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 289kcal

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 Preserved lemon (approx 3.5 cm/ 1 ½ inches diameter)
• ▢ 1 x 400g/ 14 oz can Chickpeas (drain but reserve the liquid)
• ▢ 2 ½ tbsp Olive oil
• ▢ 2 tbsp Tahini
• ▢ ¼ – ½ tsp Salt (according to taste)
• ▢ 20g Fresh mint
• ▢ Black pepper (to taste)

Garnish

• ▢ Olive oil
• ▢ 1 Sprig mint

Instructions

• Rinse the lemon and pat dry with kitchen towel. Slice into quarters and remove any pips
• Remove the mint leaves from the stalks
• Put the lemon, chickpeas, oil, tahini, mint leaves and ¼ teaspoon salt into a food processor and blend until desired consistency is reached, adding a little reserved liquid from the chickpeas as necessary
• Taste and season with extra salt and black pepper as required
• Serve in a bowl with a fresh mint sprig and a drizzle of olive oil

Notes

This hummus is best eaten fresh since the mint leaves discolour over time.

Nutrition Per Serving (Approximate)

Calories:289kcal | Carbohydrates:30g | Protein:10g | Fat:15g | Saturated Fat:2g | Sodium:8151mg | Potassium:354mg | Fiber:8g | Sugar:5g | Vitamin A:239IU | Vitamin C:3mg | Calcium:77mg | Iron:4mg

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