cooking.nytimes.com

Chard Stalk, Chickpea, Tahini and Yogurt Dip

5.0(41)

When you’ve bought a bunch of Swiss chard and used the leaves for another dish, like an oven-baked frittata with yogurt, Swiss chard and green garlic, save the stems. Then you can make this dip, which is a cross between hummus and classic Middle Eastern dip called silqbiltahina, made with chard stalks and tahini. I’ve added lots of yogurt to the mix. I love to use some red chard stalks because they give the dip a beautiful pale pink hue. This will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. It will become more pungent as it sits.

by Martha Rose Shulman

Open original recipe

Mediterranean, Middle EasternDinner, Lunch, Appetizer

Servings

(10–12)

Total time

35 min

Calories / serving

123 kcal

Ingredients (9)

serves

1/2 pound Swiss chard stalks, sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
Salt to tastesalt
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), peeled, green shoots removedgarlic
1 can chickpeas (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas), drained and rinsedchickpea
1/3 cup sesame tahini, stirred if the oil has separatedtahini
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or drained plain yogurt (low-fat or whole)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
1/2 teaspoon lightly toasted cumin seeds, groundcumin
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilolive-oil

Instructions (3 steps)

01Steam chard stalks over 1 inch water until tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a strainer for 10 minutes. Place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, along with chickpeas. Purée, stopping the machine from time to time to scrape down the sides.
02In a mortar, mash garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt until you have a smooth paste. Add to chard stalks and chickpeas. Process until smooth. Add tahini, yogurt and cumin and process until smooth. With machine running, add lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste. Stop machine, taste and adjust seasonings.