Ingredients

Dried Bean Hummus:

• ½ c. dried chickpeas
• 2 tsp. baking soda, divided
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• Juice of 1 ½ large lemons (about 1/3 cup), plus more to taste
• 1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
• 1 ¼ c. sesame tahini paste
• 3/4 tsp. toasted ground cumin, plus more to taste
• Olive oil, for serving
• Paprika, for serving
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, for serving

Roasted Cauliflower:

• 1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and cut or broken into small pieces
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
• ½ tsp. coarse kosher salt, to taste
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1 tsp. za’atar (Middle Eastern sumac spice blend available at Penzey’s in Maplewood or Global Foods Market), plus more for sprinkling
• 4-6 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Directions

Hummus:

1. Place chickpeas in a large bowl and add cold water until 3 inches above beans. Stir in 1 tsp. baking soda, cover with waxed paper and let beans soak at room temperature overnight. Drain, rinse, and drain again.
2. Add drained beans to a large pot and add enough water to cover beans, plus 4-inches. Add remaining 1 tsp. baking soda and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat so that mixture simmers, and continue cooking until liquid has been significantly reduced and beans are tender and beginning to disintegrate.
3. Drain remaining liquid from beans and reserve.
4. With food processor on, drop garlic through food tube to mince. Add, lemon juice and salt and pulse to combine. Add tahini paste and cumin and process to a thick paste. Scrape down sides of processor and, with machine running, add enough warm tap water achieve a smooth and creamy consistency.
5. Add chickpeas to tahini sauce and process until entirely pureed and fluffy, occasionally stopping machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl. If mixture appears too thick, drizzle in warm water to reach desired consistency. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice, as needed.

Roasted Cauliflower

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place cauliflower in a large bowl and sprinkle with 4 tbsp. olive oil, salt,  and remaining spices. Use your hands to rub mixture evenly onto cauliflower.
3. Lightly oil a baking pan large enough to hold cauliflower in a single layer. Add cauliflower mixture and drizzle with 2 more tbsp. of olive oil. Roast until tender and lightly charred, 30-45 minutes. (Mix once or twice while roasting to insure even cooking.)
4. Let cauliflower cool in pan until needed.

To serve:

Spoon hummus into a medium-deep and wide serving bowl. Scatter cauliflower over the top, sprinkle lightly with more za’atar and drizzle with olive oil

 Makes about 12-16 servings.