Barbecued tomatoes with lemon and harissa hummus

Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 15 mins
Ingredients
  • 500g cherry tomatoes
  • 1tsp olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 2tbs chickpea water, also called aquafaba, from the tin
  • ¼ preserved lemon
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 2-3tbs tahini
  • Pinch cumin
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 ice cubes
  • 2tbs fresh thyme, parsley or dill
  • 1tsp harissa paste
  • 2tbs olive oil
  • 1tsp za’atar
  • 4 flatbread 
  • 8 skewers

1 Soak the skewers in water for an hour prior to placing on the barbecue if they are wooden.

2 Preheat the barbecue. Thread the tomatoes onto the skewers and rub a little olive oil and sprinkle salt over them. Place on the hot grill and watch carefully, turning after a few minutes once they begin to blister. You don't want them to overcook so that they burst. Set them aside. You can also do this in a frying pan or under the grill.

3 Make the hummus by placing the chickpeas, aquafaba, preserved lemon (flesh and peel), garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin and ice cubes into a Nutribullet cup or similar high-speed blender. Blitz until smooth.

4 Taste for seasoning. Spread the hummus out on to a large serving plate or four individual plates.

5 Mix the harissa paste with the olive oil and drizzle it over the hummus. Sprinkle over the za'atar. Place the tomato skewers on top and serve with warm flatbread.

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer