Rainbow grissini (breadsticks) with green pepper hummus {vegan}

(cliccate qui per la versione italiana)

Now that summer is over (in Milan) I feel like I definitely need to add as much color to my food as possible. That’s literally what I did here – I added natural color “dyes” to my grissini (breadsticks)! You can use any as you wish (or not add any at all), and like me you can divide the dough into 4 (or less…or more!) and experiment with different colors and flavors. For example I have noticed that I hate the taste of spirulina haha. Luckily I only put 1 gram here so it was very subtle. I will try with spinach next time I think. For the yellow ones I used curry and those were my favorites. Then I used beet powder for the pink (no taste at all, may need to add more) and then I made some neutral ones with some herb-infused salt.

The recipe for breadsticks is super simple – just longish to explain!

About the hummus: nothing much to say about it, we all know how amazing and flavorful hummus is – in all its variations! It must be the food of the gods. I used green peppers because it was all I had at hand but you can definitely use any other kind of peppers if you prefer something a bit sweeter or any other cooked vegetable for that matter.

Happy experimenting!

RAINBOW BREADSTICKS WITH GREEN PEPPER HUMMUS {vegan}
by Marta Giaccone

Recipe
yields about 30-40 breadsticks
yields about 1 + ½ cups of hummus
prep time: 25 mins, cooking time: 20 mins, total time: 45 mins + 1 hr of rising time

Breadsticks
250 gr flour of choice (I used spelt)
140 ml lukewarm water
25 gr olive oil
2 tsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)
½ tsp dry yeast
1 tsp salt
4 grams colored powder (beet, curry, spirulina, activated charcoal…)
dried herbs

Method

1. Add flour, yeast, salt and colored powder (optional: also dried herbs) to a large bowl. mix well.
2. Make a small well in the center and add oil, water and maple syrup. Mix really well.
3. Knead until the dough is smooth, without any lumps, but still a little damp.
4. With your hands or with a rolling pin, shape it into a sort of flat rectangular brick (just about ½ an inch thick). Lightly brush it with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and leave it to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
5. In the meantime prepare hummus (see below).
6. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F fan-assisted or 200°C/400°F static.
7. Use a big knife with a flat and sharp blade to cut ½ inch-wide strips. Hold each strip with both hands and, starting from the center, carefully pull outwards. Don’t roll the strips onto your working surface because they may lose all the air they’ve been building up inside.
8. Place strips on a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper. Optional: lightly brush the top of the strips with water if you want to sprinkle some dried herbs.
9. Pop into the oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes. Leave out to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Green pepper hummus
4 green peppers (or more, to taste)
1 cup uncooked chickpeas or 1 can chickpeas
2 tbsp tahini
olive oil
water
juice from ½-1 lemon
1 onion
salt
handful fresh parsley

Method

1. If you’re using uncooked chickpeas, soak them overnight in plenty of water (about double their volume). When ready to cook, drain them and place in a pot along with plenty of water (but no salt!!). Cook for 1-2 hours (check when cooked).
2. Clean and chop peppers. Heat up a tbsp of olive oil in a pan. When it’s hot add a chopped onion and let cook, over low heat, until golden and translucent. Add a pinch of salt and the chopped peppers. Let cook for about 10 minutes, until tender. Just before they’re ready add a handful of chopped fresh parsley.
3. Whether you’re using dried or canned chickpeas, now transfer them to a large sieve or colander over your sink. Open cold water tap and at the same time rub chickpeas together in your hands and try to remove as many skins as possible (optional – this helps make a smoother hummus).
4. Transfer chickpeas to a blender along with a pinch of salt, 2 tbsp tahini, the juice of one lemon (or half, according to your taste), and the cooked peppers. Pulse until you achieve a creamy texture. Add a tiny bit of water if needed (depends how powerful is your blender).
5. Transfer to a bowl or container, cover and place in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients. When ready to serve, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some more fresh parsley.