Hummus-Inspired Spinach Dip Recipe

I love to experiment in the kitchen and try to concoct things that taste good, rate high in sports nutrition, and help my running performance. Not so long ago I was traveling with my sister and she introduced me to hummus. I’ve heard of it for years but never eaten it. Go figure.

Nutritional Benefits of Hummus and Spinach

To begin with, the basis of hummus is chickpeas, or garbanzos if you prefer. I like the term garbanzo because it’s just more fun to say. Also, the dictionary lists it as a slang term. Go on, use your imagination.

Anyway, this legume has a glycemic index rating of just a low 34, meaning that it is very slow burning so it’s a great choice for long runs or weight loss if you’re following the South Beach Diet.

And spinach? It’s a low, low 15. It also has zero fat and cholesterol and packs a whopping 160% RDA of vitamin A per serving. These are just several reasons it’s better than lettuce in salads or on a whole wheat BLT.

Ingredient List

Like I mentioned above, I experiment, so feel free to do so yourself.

• 8 oz. organic garbanzos, boiled. The bag has 16 oz. so I boiled them all and had half to save for soup.
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced.
• 1 large serrano pepper, finely minced. I’ll add another one next time if the kid isn’t going to eat it.
• 1/3 bottle of Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing.
• Extra virgin olive oil added as you go along for desired consistency.
• 3/4 of a 10 oz. bag of washed spinach.

The Procedure

I had intended to make this as a hummus but ended up calling it a dip because my tired old blender wouldn’t properly mash the garbanzos; but if yours will, go for it!

1. Boil the chickpeas (garbanzos) until tender; about 2 hours.
2. Mince the garlic and pepper.
3. Load a large mixing bowl with the chickpeas, garlic, pepper, and salad dressing.
4. Liquefy the spinach in the blender and add it to the mixing bowl.
5. Mash it all together with a potato masher, adding olive oil, until you reach the desired consistency.
6. Consume this concoction with a spoon or chips or crackers of choice. I used Mary’s Gone Crackers organic brand. My sister also introduced me to this treat. They’re a bit pricier than conventional Lay’s chips, but they are much healthier. They are also gluten-free; doesn’t make any difference to me but it might to you.

Other Ingredient Considerations

There are several alternatives I’d like to try in the future. A splash of lemon juice or zest for one. I planted a Meyer Improved Lemon tree last spring so this is yet another use for it.

Maybe some dried mustard powder. I’ll also try some cilantro for a bit of a Tex-Mex angle. And you can never go wrong with a bit of basil from the garden!

Got any modification ideas? Share them with our readers in the comment section below!