A Colorful Twist on Hummus with Roasted Carrots & Harissa

Sometimes the classic combination of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon — aka plain ol’ hummus — really hits the spot. Other times, though, it’s nice to take things up a notch with some special ingredients. Ingredients — like roasted carrots, spicy harissa, and a garnish of tart pomegranate arils — that add color and interest to an otherwise standard dip.

The key to this dip is all the intense flavors going on — the sweet roasted carrots, spicy harissa, and bright lemon. You pulse all these ingredients with some cooked chickpeas and tahini to mellow things out a bit, and then comes the fun part: garnishing. Some suggested garnishes for this dip are pomegranate arils, Brussels sprout leaves, pine nuts, and fresh parsley.

You may be tempted to just dive into this dip with a spoon (and I wouldn’t blame you for that), but some crunchy crackers or endive leaves would also be perfectly acceptable vehicles for devouring it.

→ Get the Recipe: Roasted Carrot, Chickpea + Harissa Dip from The First Mess