Sweet Potato Hummus

Want a really delicious hummus recipe? Amp up the flavor with some other additions - vegetables, herbs, spices, and condiments. Here is one of my favorites. I like to add sweet potato to the hummus, because not only do I love sweet potato and the sweetness it brings, but also because sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin C, and this helps your body to absorb all the iron in the chickpeas.

Sweet Potato Hummus
1 large sweet potato
3-4 garlic cloves
1 can (540mL)  chickpeas or white kidney or navy beans - I use no salt added
*this is approximately 2 cups of beans, so dried cooked beans can be substituted if desired
apple cider vinegar
ground ginger
paprika, just a dash
ground black pepper
Optional: lemon or lime juice, olive oil, salt

First, cook the veg. I recommend roasting the sweet potato to get that caramelized taste and sweetness, but if preferred it can also be boiled or steamed until tender.
To roast: my favorite way is to just shove it in the oven at a high temperature until it is soft and you begin to see spots turning brown and caramelizing, Then let it cool just enough to handle and peel off the skin, It can also be wrapped in foil, or peeled before hand, and even cut into pieces for a quicker roasting. Roast the garlic along with it, just remember the garlic won't take nearly as long as a whole potato and it burns easily.

Meanwhile, puree the beans until smooth. Then puree the sweet potato and garlic. Pureeing them separately, then adding them together, makes for optimal smoothness. Puree them together with the remaining ingredients, to taste. 

I prefer my hummus without oil, I also prefer a thicker consistency, but the sweet potato really helps to thin this hummus out without the need for added fat. I also used a lot of spice, so I found I did not even need salt! Now that's a healthy and tasty party dip!