Spinach Hummus

One of the constant problems of living in a household of two is that it is difficult to use up ingredients before they go bad. Maybe that's just because I'm still used to living in a larger family setting where food disappears fast, or because it's more cost effective to buy larger quantities of ingredients. Whatever the reason, fresh spinach is one of those things that we seem to eat almost every day, but still have trouble getting rid of before it's past its prime. That's how this recipe came about. Despite salads, sandwiches and curries using the leafy green, we still had a few cups of fresh spinach sitting here. So I made a double batch of my favorite hummus recipe, added pureed spinach, and voila! A gorgeous, even more nutrient filled dip for us to snack on (and maybe give away to some of our lucky family and friends).

Spinach Hummus
Makes 2 1/2 cups

One can of chickpeas
2 cups of baby spinach leaves, packed down
1/4 cup of tahini
1/4 cup of water
2 tbs of olive oil
juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
2 cloves of garlic (raw and minced)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
black pepper and sumac, to taste

1. Rinse the chickpeas under cold water until the excess liquid is gone. In a food processor or blender, combine all of your ingredients (I usually do the wet ones first and then add the beans slowly into our crappy, easily upset blender). Transfer the dip to a bowl, sprinkle with a bit of chili powder and sumac, and serve with pita bread and veggies.