Nothing says Thanksgiving like a pumpkin appetizer!

Thanksgiving gives us a chance to stir up some favorite recipes and to experiment with some new dishes.

Holiday Pumpkin Hummus, a savory appetizer, is made with cooked soybeans with a little bit of spice. This no-carb appetizer is light and will be a hit for snacking prior to the main meal. For those with a sweet tooth, simply blend in a bit of Agave Nectar to taste. The combination of savory and sweet is very good!

Why make hummus with soy rather than chickpeas?

You be the judge.

Garnish your Pumpkin Soy Hummus with candied or roasted nuts and/or cranberries for a great finish!

Holiday Pumpkin Hummus (Savory Soy Style)

Serve with cut-up vegetables, pita chips, or as a spread on flatbread.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Chilling time: 2 hours

Yields about 6 cups (24 -1/4 cup servings)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked yellow soybeans (32 ounces)

• 2 cups of canned pumpkin (puree)

• 3 Tablespoons tahini (Check out our May Recipe or pick up some in the store)

• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 4 small cloves or 3 large cloves of garlic, chopped

• 3/4 teaspoon salt (kosher if you have it)

• 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 3 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil

• Dash of paprika

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1:

Cook yellow soybeans until very soft. If frozen (cooked), place in pot with water (no more than half full), bring to boil. Reduce heat to prevent boiling over. Continue cooking on a low boil for about 25-40 minutes, when the soybeans are very soft. After cooking, strain the soybeans in a strainer/colander and rinse with hot water.

STEP 2:

Combine lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper in a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth. Let sit in the processor for 10 minutes or longer for the flavors to blend.

STEP 3:

Add the soybeans and olive oil into the processor and blend.

Note: For fluffy hummus process longer. Can also add an additional tablespoon of water.

STEP 4:

Add pumpkin to the processor and blend until the mixture is creamy. Stop the processor and scrape the sides to blend the mixture together.

• Taste and add seasonings as desired.

• Scrape hummus into a bowl, swirl the top with a spoon, and garnish.

Can be eaten immediately but better if refrigerated for two hours or more.

Top with a garnish of your choice! 

Options include drizzled olive oil, paprika, roasted or candied nuts and/or cranberries.

NOTE: Swirl in a little Agave Nectar at the end to change this dish to a sweet delight!

Hummus can be made days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container up to one week.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: Serving Size ¼ cup

Calories 164 / Protein 11.99 g / Carbohydrate 11.8 g / Dietary Fiber 3.7 g / Total Sugars 3 g / Total Fat 7.9 g / Saturated Fat 1.2 g / Sodium 78 mg / Cholesterol 0 mg / Iron 5 mg

The nutrition facts source: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer 

Homemade Pita Chips (Yum!)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• 6 pitas, cut into 8-10 wedges

• 8 Tablespoons of olive oil

• 4 cloves of garlic, smashed or diced finely

• Garlic Salt

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

STEP 2:

Cut pita bread into 8-10 or more wedges and place in a bowl. Pour olive oil over wedges and add garlic. Mix well. If you like thinner chips, you can split some of the thicker pita wedges and continue to toss to coat bread. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic salt.

STEP 3:

Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake longer if crispier chips are desired.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: Serving Size = chips from ½ of whole pita.

Calories 164 / Protein 2.8 g / Carbohydrate 17.1 g / Dietary Fiber .7 g / Total Sugars .4 g / Total Fat 9.7 g / Saturated Fat 1.4 g / Sodium 161 mg / Cholesterol 0 mg / Iron 5 mg / Sodium 176 mg / Calcium 28 mg / Iron 1 mg.