Mediterranean Feta & Lemon Hummus Dip

Hi friends! So, this weekend’s the big game in California… and while I have no strong feelings towards one team or the other, I always love a good Super Bowl!

The actual game, the half-time show, the obscenely expensive commercial spots… I love it all. And we obviously can’t forget about football food! I’ve been drooling at my computer screen all week checking out my fellow blogger friends’ recipes for game day, and today I’m sharing a new yummy one of my own.

While I’m a sports fan in general, football is definitely my favorite sport. I grew up with my dad coaching football (still does!), so I think I was kind of bred into loving the sport. I was a competitive cheerleader from ages 7-17 who cheered at many football games, both of my brothers played football growing up (one of which coaches football now), and these days I’m just as big of a fan of the NFL as my husband is – though he’s an Eagles fan and I’m a Giants fan.

This fan rivalry was a minor point of contention when we met, and we still tease each other when our respective teams blow a game (It happened pretty often this season! Ugh.). I played in two Fantasy Football leagues this year, and it’s so much fun!

I don’t typically enjoy going to parties or bars for the Super Bowl because I actually like to watch the game and hear what’s going on. Most years my hubby and I just relax at home and watch it.

But, this in no way means that I scrimp on game day food! Hell no. I like any reason to have fun in the kitchen in general, so naturally I get all excited and make a bunch of fun Super Bowl food for just the two of us.

This dip idea was born after I made a few batches of the lemon hummus recipe that I shared last week. Actually, the title of this post could have been The Week That I Made 5 Batches of Hummus, because that’s precisely what happened.

First, I made hummus a few times while lemon hummus recipe testing. Then, I collaborated with my HIIT studio, The Fit Mill, to make some heathy snacks for an event that they hosted – which included making 2 batches of lemon hummus. Then, the idea of this dip dawned on me, so I simply had to make lemon hummus again a few days later to try it out. It’s safe to say that there’s been no shortage of hummus around here!

I absolutely love Mediterranean food – including salty, rich feta cheese. For this dip, I combined feta with other classic Mediterranean foods, including artichoke hearts, cherry tomato, red onion, and a touch of olive oil. Adding in a bottom layer of lemon hummus seemed like a no-brainer, and the result was this fresh, flavorful dip.

What I also like about this dip is that you can easily separate it out into individual portions. Just spread about 1/4 cup of hummus on the bottom of some cute little ramekins, and add a couple of hearty spoonfuls of the feta/veggie mixture on top of each. It’s built-in portion control so that you don’t mindlessly munch as you’re watching the game.

My favorite dippers for this recipe are Sea Salt Rice Chips from my friends at Lundberg Farms. Pita chips, pretzels, baby carrots, and celery also make for good dipper options.

Mediterranean Feta & Lemon Hummus Dip

Foodie Loves Fitness

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 10

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the lemon hummus

• 1-15 oz can chickpeas
• ¼ cup tahini
• Juice from ½ medium lemon
• Zest from ½ medium lemon
• 5 TBSP water
• 1 TBSP fresh parsley roughly chopped
• ¼ TSP sea salt
• ⅛ TSP pepper

For the feta mixture

• 1-8 oz brick of feta cheese
• 2 TSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP red onion minced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts roughly chopped
• 1 TSP fresh lemon juice
• Your favorite dippers such as pita chips, crackers, rice chips, baby carrots and celery

Instructions

 

• Remove the skins from the chickpeas by gently squeezing each bean so that the skin pops off. (This takes about 10 minutes, and though it's an optional step, it's worth the effort! It makes the hummus creamier.)
• Discard the skins, and place the chickpeas in a food processor. Add in the remaining hummus ingredients, and pulse on high for 15 seconds. Scrape down the mixture from the bowl, and pulse again until the mixture forms a smooth, creamy hummus.
• In a serving bowl or dish, spread the hummus evenly onto the bottom. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, crumble the feta cheese into bite-sized chunks.
• Add in the red onion, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olive oil, and lemon juice, and lightly toss to combine well.
• Pour the feta mixture on top of the hummus, spreading evenly in the dish.
• Keep refrigerated until dip is ready to be served.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gFiber: 3gSugar: 2g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Remember, enjoying game day food does not have to equate to wreaking havoc on your diet. On the contrary, there are lots of lightened up dips to make and tons of healthier options available! I liked the following graphic that Fix.com sent me about healthy dips, and wanted to share it with you guys:

{Source: Fix.com}

Tell me.. Will you be watching the Super Bowl? What’s your favorite dip?