Easy, Creamy and Nutritious Pumpkin Hummus
Total Time: 15 minutes
Equipment: Food Processor or Blender
Serves easily a party of 12
Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tahini
1 squeezed lemon, or two tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
sprinkle on top smoked hot paprika, to taste
garnish toasted Pepitas/Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds (see about info below)
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add a spoon of water if the hummus is too thick, and adjust seasonings to your preference.
Spread in a bowl and garnish with a small drizzle of olive oil, pumpkin seeds, and smoked hot paprika.
Notes
Serve pumpkin hummus spread on toast, with pita or naan bread, celery sticks, carrot sticks, or cucumber slices.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 9635IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1.4mg
About Pepitas/Pumpkin Seeds
If all pepitas are pumpkin seeds, does that mean that all pumpkin seeds are pepitas?
Many people use the words pepitas and pumpkin seeds interchangeably, but they are not the same thing? As it turns out, there’s a difference between the two. Even though it does sound pretty cool, “pepita” isn’t just a cool way to say “pumpkin seed.” They aren’t hulled pumpkin seeds, either.
Pepitas and pumpkin seeds are actually two different things. A pepita is harvested from specific hulless pumpkin varieties, known as Styrian or Oil Seed pumpkins. They even have hip names like Lady Godiva, Naked Bear and Kakai Hulless Pumpkin. Any other variety of pumpkin produces a hulled seed that’s slightly fibrous and less tender. You can certainly substitute one for the other, but there is a rule: You can always substitute pepitas for pumpkin seeds, but it’s best to only substitute pumpkin seeds for recipes that call for pepitas as a garnish. Purchase from Costco, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes.