Hummus yummus!
I really don’t feel like cooking much in the summertime. The summer in Finland is notoriously short and often very cold, so if the sun is shining, I want to be outside. That’s probably why my blog is usually slowing down each summer – I just don’t cook. And if I do, it’s always something super simple and fast, like cold noodle soups, hiyayakko or hummus bowls! (And you bet I use store bough hummus.)
In my opinion, the best summer dishes are made with minimal ingredients, minimal effort, and should be easily packed for a snack al fresco! Hummus, black garlic labneh and roasted tomatoes fit the description to the T. All that’s needed is a little mixing, a little mashing, and a quick pan fry for the tomatoes. A yummy hummus bowl comes together in no time, and it tastes even better outside in the sunshine!
Black garlic labneh
The key to this super simple hummus bowl is black garlic labneh. Sounds fancy perhaps, but comes together with 3 store bought ingredients: black garlic, labneh and za’atar! Black garlic is made by aging the garlic slow and low, until it becomes dark, soft, sort of jammy and almost balsamic in flavor. The pungent kick of raw garlic is gone, and what’s left is a sweet and tangy umami bomb! Black garlic is easy to mush with a fork and mix with (you guessed it!) store bought labneh. All that’s left to do after that, is to season the mix with some earthy za’atar.
If you can’t find a store that sells labneh, you can make your own by straining full fat Greek yogurt in the fridge overnight, until thick and creamy. Season to taste with some salt and labneh is done! (For more detailed instructions, Lotte from My Kitchen Stories has a recipe on her website!) You can also make your own black garlic, but that will push your hummus meal off by a month… I recommend just finding a store that sells black garlic and buying A LOT. It stores really well and I never want to be without it!
Hummus, black garlic labneh & roasted tomatoes
My “quick and easy summer food” category rarely includes anything that’s hot or cooked, but this dish really is elevated with the juicy roasted tomatoes. If you don’t feel like heating up the oven, you can quickly sautée the cherry tomatoes on a frying pan. With my induction stove top it takes just a few minutes on high heat! If you have a chance to grill the tomatoes, even better! Pour yourself a glass of something cold and chill by the grill, enjoying the summer. And while you’re at it, I suggest grilling some new potatoes too! They’re wonderful dipped in the hummus, labneh and all the tomato juices…
If your local stores offer ready made roasted cherry tomatoes, they’re obviously making this dish even easier. I wouldn’t use sun-dried tomatoes though! You need the freshness and juiciness of the fresh tomatoes here ♥
Hummus bowl with black garlic labneh & roasted tomatoes
Ingredients
- 300 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 300 g hummus
- 1-2 tbsp za'atar
- flakey sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
- 300-400 g grilled/roasted/fried new potatoes or crusty bread
Black garlic labneh:
- 150 g labneh
- 6-8 cloves black garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp za'atar
Notes:
Instructions
- Fry/roast/grill the cherry tomatoes with a bit of olive oil until they are bursting and slightly charred here and there. It takes about 5 minutes on stove top (high heat) or 10 minutes grilled or in the oven (top shelf with the broiler setting on).
- If you're serving the hummus bowl with crispy new potatoes, cook them up the same way: a splash of oil + high heat. I use leftover boiled potatoes for this, so they don't need to be cooked, just crisped up a bit.
- Make the black garlic labneh by mushing the garlic cloves with a fork and a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix this in with the labneh and season with za'atar!
- All that's left to do now is to plate the hummusbowls: spoon the hummus on the plates or bowls, and top off with the labneh. Divide the tomatoes along with their juices on the plates. Finish the dishes with some za'atar, flakey sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper!
- You can garnish the dishes with some edible flowers and/or fresh herbs for extra flair. Serve the hummus bowls with the cripsy potatoes or some crusty bread!
Ps. Roasting and serving the cherry tomatoes on the vine looks cool but is very unpractical to eat. I recommend picking the tomatoes off the vine before cooking … unless you also need cool pictures of your food 😀
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