RECIPE: Chard Stalk Hummus

I am re-posting this recipe, because I've found ways to improve it.

This recipe is originally from the wonderful book Root to Stalk Cooking by Tara Duggan. She makes it with green chard, as they do in the Mediterranean, and instructs you to boil the stalks, but I wanted to use red chard and boiling would have removed all the color, so I steamed them.

Original Recipe: Chard Stalk Hummus

Chard Stalk Hummus

Makes 1.5 cups

Even if you use red chard it won't be pink like the photo unless you remove every shred of green from the stalks!  The first time I made this, I didn't, and it was an unappetizing light brownish pink.  The second time I used only the ends of the stalks, removing every shred of green with a knife, and it was a beautiful deep pink!  (I used the leaves to make Red chard and white beans with tomato and garlic.)

If you use green chard, which has whiteish stalks, it will be similar to the color of chickpea hummus.

In addition to reducing the amounts in the original recipe so that it could be scaled up more easily, I increased the lemon and garlic as the original recipe was too bland for our taste.

• 1.5 cups of chopped chard stalks (8 oz, washed and dried, no need to chop)
• 1/3 c. raw tahini
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed and skin removed (I grated them on a microplane)
• 1/2 t. salt

Clean the stalks of every shred of green!  Steam until the stalks are tender and soft, between 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.  (It's not necessary to chop the stalks, or cool them.  Just cut them small enough to fit in your strainer, and when they're tender dump them into the processor/blender.)

Combine stalks with the remaining ingredients in a food processor bowl.  Process until a thick paste forms.  Add 3 T. water and continue processing until the dip is smooth and creamy.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil.  Serve with pita wedges or sliced hakurei turnip dippers.  Ms. Duggan garnished them with green pumpkin seeds, I used walnuts.


Notes: One pound of chard yielded 8oz of stalks, or 1.5 cups of stalks, cut 1" long.

* I used the leaves to make Red chard and white beans with tomato and garlic so I steamed the stalks in a strainer set over a 6-qt stock pot and then topped up the water to cook the leaves.