I ate a lot of hummus during my time away. I packed lunch every day to take to work, and while sometimes I was prepared enough to make grain/bean/veggie salads to-go, I often resorted to the lazy option and ate hummus/salad sandwiches for several days straight.
I’m sure I’ve already mentioned how much I dislike eating the same thing over and over again, but even worse was that I had no food processor in Geneva so had to rely on supermarket hummus most of the time. I don’t know how it’s possible to make hummus bad but this really was terrible! Fortunately, the good farmers’ market seedy spelt bread almost made up for it.
That said, it’s nice to return home to my kitchen ingredients and equipment (I especially missed my food processor, blender and decent knives!) and the first thing I made was hummus. Well, sort of.
I’m sure I’m not alone in eating hummus with a spoon sometimes…please tell me I’m not! But it’s not exactly something you can do at a table/in public. So these bites were devised as a more acceptable way of getting hummus to mouth efficiently, without crackers, bread or anything else getting in the way.
A simple, light version of our beloved chickpea dip, with green onions, herbs and carrot folded in for extra flavour and texture, shaped into bite-size balls and rolled in toasted sesame seeds. Perfect for popping into your mouth. No spoon necessary!
They’d be a fun alternative to your classic hummus & crudités platter appetizer. Kick them up a notch and serve them alongside my Mango-Tahini Sauce for dipping.
Tahini on tahini? Yes please!
My favourite way to serve them is over a giant rainbow salad. Great for clearing out all the odds and ends in your fridge and getting lots of colour and variety into your diet. I just fill a bowl with whatever veggies I have on hand, top with several of the Sesame Hummus Bites and drizzle generously with Mango-Tahini Sauce. Much more fun than a dollop of hummus.

- 1-1/2 C Cooked chickpeas (1 can)
- 2 Tbsp Tahini
- 3 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp Water
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- Pepper
- 1 Medium carrot, grated
- 2 Green onions, finely chopped
- Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- 1/2 C Sesame seeds (white, black or a mixture)
- 1 Mango, cubed (approx 2 C)
- 1/4 C Lime juice
- 1/4 C Tahini
- 2 Green onions, chopped (white part only)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- A few pinches of cayenne pepper (optional)
- For the hummus bites, in a food processor blend the chickpeas, tahini, lemon, water, paprika, salt and pepper until you have a smooth, thick hummus-like consistency. Transfer to a large bowl, add the carrot, green onion and coriander and mix well to incorporate.
- Roll mixture into small balls, using slightly moistened hands. The mixture shouldn't be particularly sticky.
- Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for approx 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Pour the sesame seeds into a wide dish and gently roll the hummus bites in them to coat.
- Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth.
- You will have extra sesame seeds but I find it's easier to coat the bites if you're rolling them in a larger amount.

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