Toasted Pumpkin Seed Hummus

I love hummus, and although the more traditional type made with tahini will probably always be my favorite, it's fun to experiment with different flavors. Also, sesame seeds are a common allergen, and so some people have to avoid tahini altogether. Pumpkin seeds are super nutritious and a great source of protein. Toasted, they have a lovely charred flavor I really enjoy. This hummus has similar macros to the soybean hummus featured in my books, but with a little less fat and a bit more protein. Happy dipping, spreading, etc. (Or, just unashamedly eat it with a spoon like I do!)
Yield: 12 servings of roughly ¼ cup (60g) each, totaling about 3 cups (760g)
Macros (soybean): 150 calories | 8.5g protein | 11g fat | 2g net carbs
Macros (chickpea): 145 calories | 7.5g protein | 10g fat | 4.5g net carbs
Prep: 15 minutes (+ time to toast seeds if necessary)
Equipment required: a high-powered blender
Storage: refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Ingredients:
  • ¾ cup (120g) pumpkin seeds, toasted (5-7 minutes at 350°F [175°C])
  • 1 cup (240ml) soy or pea milk
  • ¼ cup (60ml/54g) light olive oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice ✎
  • ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)​
  • 6 cloves (18g) garlic (equals 1 tablespoon crushed)
  • 1 Tbsp (5g) nutritional yeast flakes ​(optional)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1½ cups (258g) cooked & cooled soybeans or a 15-ounce (425g) can of chickpeas, drained (about 1½ cups [246g]) and ¼ cup (28g) plain pea or soy protein powder
Directions:​
  1. Put all ingredients apart from the beans in a high-powered blender and blend to smooth. The pumpkin seeds can be a warm, but not hot from the oven if they have just been toasted.
  2. Add the beans and blend to smooth. You may need to use a tamper to keep the mixture moving. If the mixture is unable to blend, add a splash of water or plant milk.
  3. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to cool and thicken.
  4. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, or bowls, and enjoy as you would typically use hummus.

Make It With Lupini Beans: replace the soybeans with 1¼ cups (225g) brined lupini beans, drained and rinsed. Increase the milk to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (270ml). Reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon. Macros will vary with lupini beans used.
✎ Notes:
  • If you want to add in some sesame flavor, you could replace some (or all) of the olive oil with toasted sesame oil. For reference, there are 4 tablespoons in a quarter cup.
  • Macros for this recipes are calculated with American national nutritional data (i.e. NCCDB & USDA entries in Cronometer) for all ingredients apart from the nutritional yeast flakes (a mixture of Bob's Redmill and Foods Alive unfortified) and the pumpkin seeds (Bob's Redmill).
  • Macro numbers are rounded. Numbers equal to or greater than 10g are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 10g, 11g, 12g, etc.) and numbers below 10g are rounded to the nearest 0.5g (0.5g, 1g, 1.5g ... 9g, 9.5g). Any numbers below 0.5g are given as is (e.g. 0.1g, 0.2g, etc.). Calories are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.