Chipotle Chickpea Dip

I'd pretty much decided to leave yesterday's lunch off the blog until my husband came home and devoured the leftovers, saying "This is the best hummus ever!" I pointed out that it's not really hummus. "It doesn't have any tahini at all, and the flavors are Southwestern rather than Middle Eastern. And it's super-spicy. Maybe I'll just call it a dip."

So it's a dip. And a sandwich spread. I ate it for lunch in a wrap, along with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, green pepper, and red onions. For our end-of-the-workday Cinco de Mayo snack, we ate it as a dip with crackers. Either way, if you like spicy foods, you'll probably love this. And if you're trying to cut out fat, this recipe's a winner: with all that spiciness, you won't miss the tahini.

Chipotle Chickpea Dip

1 large clove garlic, peeled
15 ounces (1 1/2 cups) chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved
2 tbsp. lime juice
1/2-1 tbsp. chopped canned chipotle peppers (adjust according to how spicy you like it)
1 tbsp. chopped red onion
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
salt to taste
more red onion for garnish

With the food processor running, drop in the garlic and process until chopped. Add the chickpeas and lime juice and begin processing. If it's too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of cooking liquid from chickpeas or, if you're using canned, just use water. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. Serve garnished with chopped red onions.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free