Pan-Seared Zucchini with Harissa Hummus

Jorge and I were recently at our favorite restaurant in San Diego, Trust, and this recipe for Pan-Seared Zucchini with Harissa Hummus is inspired by an app we had that evening.

Sponsored by Pulses.org, this recipe starts with a creamy bed of homemade hummus.  Have you ever made hummus at home? It’s SO easy. Simply add cooked chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic and lemon to a food processor and blitz until smooth.  That’s it! Flavored with harissa, a North African chile paste, this hummus is rich and smoky and with a just a bit of spice.

I’m pairing this hummus with a summer staple:  zucchini. Half moons of zucchini are cooked in olive oil until golden and creamy.  The sweetness of the zucchini is a nice counter to the punchy harissa hummus. Crumbled feta, cilantro and aleppo chile flakes sprinkled on top add varying pops of flavor and excitement.  You guys, these flavors are DELISH, and you need to make this for your next summer soiree. Continue reading for the recipe.

My friends over at Pulses.org are still talking up that Half-Cup Habit life where they are encouraging everyone to enjoy three half-cup servings of pulses (dry chickpeas, peas, beans and lentils) each week.  Packed with protein, fiber and nutrients, hummus is one of my favorite ways to get my pulses in for the week. If you’re looking for more info on the Half-Cup Habit including recipes, tips and digital resources, you can sign up for their email list here!

Here are some other recipes on Kitchen Konfidence to help you get into the Half-Cup Habit:

• Superfood Salad with Easy Roasted Chickpeas
• Kale and White Bean Pizza
• Tomato and Lentil salad with Feta and Herbs
• Roasted Chickpeas 3 Ways
• Pasta with Chickpeas, Fennel and Saffron

I love to make a big batch of beans or chickpeas each week.  In addition to the recipes above, they’re so good with salad, soup, toast and pasta!

5 from 2 votes

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Pan-Seared Zucchini with Harissa Hummus

Inspired by a small plate from Trust restaurant in San Diego!

Course Appetizer

Keyword harissa hummus, hummus recipe, zucchini recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Brandon Matzek

Ingredients

For the hummus:

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, prepare from dry*
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon harissa, plus more to taste
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste
• Kosher salt

For the zucchini:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into half moons
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Toppings: crumbled feta, cilantro leaves, aleppo chile flakes

Instructions

1. To make the hummus, place chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, harissa, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor along with a couple pinches of salt. Process until mostly smooth. If the hummus gets too thick while processing, stream in water bit by bit until you reach a creamy texture. Season to taste with additional salt, harissa and lemon juice.
2. To make the zucchini, warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini in an even layer with each half moon flat side down, and season with a pinch of salt. Let cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms of the zucchini turn golden brown (about 3 minutes). Flip each half moon, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the other side turns golden brown (about 2 minutes more). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, squeeze a little lemon juice over top, and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
3. To serve, spread harissa hummus in an even, thick layer on a large serving plate. Mound zucchini in the middle of the hummus, then top with crumbled feta, cilantro leaves and aleppo chile flakes. You can enjoy this warm or chilled!

Recipe Notes

* I like to brine the dried chickpeas overnight and then cook quickly in my pressure cooker. You’ll need 2/3 cup dried chickpeas for this recipe, but I would recommend preparing the chickpeas in bulk and then using in various dishes throughout the week. They’re great with pasta or on salads.

This post was written in partnership with Pulses.org. Thoughts, opinions and recipes are my own.  Be sure to check out the Half-Cup Habit and enjoy three half-cup servings of pulses (dry chickpeas, peas, beans and lentils) each week.  You can sign up for their email list here!