Super green hummus and roast root vegetables

Serves: 6
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

  • Serves 6
  • 1kg root vegetables, carrots and parsnips
  • 250g asparagus or broccoli spears
  • 100g baby spinach leaves
  • 20g coriander
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 240g cooked chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 150g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Preheat an oven to 200 degrees Celsius/gas 5. Peel the carrots and parsnips and cut them into long batons of equal size. Drizzle with a little oil and arrange them on a tray. Due to the shape of the carrots and parsnips, I usually place the thinner ends towards the centre of the tray. It sounds a little fussy but is worth it because the thinner ends can burn quickly. Place the chunkier end nearer to the edge of the tray. Roast for 20-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and coloured in places. Keep them warm and set aside.

Roughly chop the coriander. Place it in the bowl of a food processor along with the spinach, garlic and lemon juice. Blitz till combined and uniformly green. Add the chickpeas, tahini and olive oil, and blitz again till creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Gently bend each asparagus spear till it snaps. The woody tough end of the stem will naturally snap exactly where it needs to. Simmer the asparagus in the water for four minutes, till just cooked. Remove from the water and place on a platter with the roasted vegetables. Serve with the hummus and a scattering of toasted hazelnuts.

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer