Salad, SandwichesMalia Howe

Hummus and Veggie Pockets

Salad, SandwichesMalia Howe
Hummus and Veggie Pockets

Iknow I said I'd post as I made dishes, but this one has to be included. Just pretend I didn't tell you that I made this on Thursday. This recipe is one I sort of made up as I was trying to come up with ways to use the cucumbers and tomatoes from our garden. I shared it with a couple of friends who I knew would appreciate it (side note: the e mail subject line was "make this", guess I thought it was fitting for a blog title, too), and one of them left me the voicemail that made me take the plunge with this blog. I digress...

I really love hummus. I don't think I've met a hummus I didn't like. For years I've enjoyed a favorite summer lunch of toasted pita bread with hummus and sliced garden tomatoes. It is just a wonderful combo to me. When I was cooking dinner on Thursday I really intended just to make that, but those cucumbers were staring at me. For a split second I thought maybe I'd just slice some and add them as well, but then I saw the feta in the fridge and remembered I had a red onion in the pantry and suddenly I wanted a tomato/cucumber/feta salad (another fast summer staple here). I saw no reason why this all couldn't be merged together into one glorious sandwich for hummus lovers like me. And it was glorious. To my taste buds anyway.

Hummus and Veggie Pockets

First, make a cucumber and tomato salad--chop up your desired amount of juicy tomatoes and cucumbers, add a bit of thinly sliced red onion, salt/pepper, and a touch of olive oil. Shake on some red wine vinegar to taste so that it is nice and tangy (alternatively, any store bought vinaigrette would work). Stir in some feta. Let it sit a few minutes while you do the rest.

Make your hummus (or buy and use your favorite) My go-to is an adaptation of one I found in Cooking Light about ten years ago. It has a different texture than store bought hummus, so don't be alarmed.

  • 2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2-4 T. warm water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice of 1-2 small lemons (depending on how you like it--I used 2, but the lemons were small)
  • 1 t. salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 t. cumin
  • 1/2 c. olive oil (you are supposed to use tahini. I almost never buy it.)
  • Whirl it all up in a food processor.

Split some whole wheat pita pocket bread and toast the halves (please take the time to toast them, it makes all the difference). Smear each with hummus and fill with the salad. This is serious food heaven for me. I have no pictures because it was long gone before this post was crafted. Use your imagination.