There’s little in the food world as simple and satisfying as a thick slice of toast piled high with delicious toppings, and this Radish and Hummus Toast has it all; crunch, creaminess and flavor. In this version, seasonal veggies compliment smooth hummus in the best way, and with a little extra effort, homemade hummus will transform the way you think about your ground up chickpea and tahini. Use your favorite grocery store rendition in its place if you’re pressed for time, but I find that usually, it can’t hold a candle to this traditional Mediterranean-style dream whipped up at home. A higher ratio of tahini to garbanzo beans, a cool trick with baking soda, and cold water make for an outstanding texture and an authentic hummus that shines like no other. Thinly sliced radish adds crispness and color, and chives and toasted sesame seeds make for tiny bursts of flavor. Mix it up and top with cucumber, daikon or any other favorite veggie. Bonus: it’s vegan to boot.

Radish and Hummus Toast

  • 2 slices of your favorite bread (we recommend Revolution Bakery’s Buckwheat Quinoa Bread)
  • 4 thinly-sliced radishes
  • Chives, finely sliced
  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons hummus (recipe below)

Assembly:

Toast your favorite bread. Divide the hummus between both slices and spread evenly. Layer radishes on top of hummus. Sprinkle chives and sesame seeds on top to taste.

Hummus:
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit’s Israeli-Style Hummus
Note: garbanzo beans need 6+ hours to soak
Makes 2 – 3 cups

  • 1 8-ounce can garbanzo beans, or 1 cup dried
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
  • 2/3 cup tahini
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup (or more) ice water

Ahead of time:

For canned chickpeas, place in bowl with baking soda and soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.

For dry chickpeas, soak overnight with 1 tsp baking soda for 8-12 hours, then rinse and drain. Place in pan with water, then boil with remaining baking soda for at least 45 minutes until soft and almost falling apart.

Mince garlic cloves finely and place in lemon juice. Let sit at least an hour, as long as overnight for more developed garlic flavor.

Next:

Strain garlic-lemon mixture through a mesh sieve into food processor or medium bowl, pressing the garlic to extract as much liquid as possible.

Using food processor or immersion blender, combine tahini with garlic-lemon mixture and salt until smooth. Working slowly, add the ice water a little bit at a time. The tahini mixture may tighten up into a ball at first, but continue until totally blended.

Next, add drained chickpeas and blend until very smooth, scraping down sides if necessary, about 5 minutes. Add additional water if needed for thinner texture.

Taste and season with more lemon juice, salt and cumin as desired.

To assemble toast:

Toast your favorite bread (We used Revolution Bakery’s Buckwheat Quinoa Bread).

Spoon about 3 tbsp of hummus on top, spread to edges.

Layer radishes in a pretty spiral on top, or just pile ‘em on.

Sprinkle chives and sesame seeds on top to taste.

Try finding local veggies at the winter markets this year:

Los Ranchos Growers’ Market
6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW (Los Ranchos)
2nd Saturday of the month, December through April, 10 am – 12 pm

Corrales Growers’ Market
500 Jones Rd. & Corrales Rd. (Corrales)
December 6, January 3, February 7, March 6, and April 3, 11 am – 1 pm

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Sophie Putka is a Massachusetts transplant in love with New Mexico. She writes, makes lattes, and haunts Albuquerque eateries in search of a good bagel. She can usually be found in the kitchen trying to use up as many leftovers as possible and plotting her next adventure.