Vegan and Dairy-free Butternut Squash Hummus Appetizer
Hummus and gatherings go together. I recently served this recipe when my daughter was in town and had invited her childhood friends over. When I put this shareable vegan appetizer on the table, everyone immediately gathered around. My husband said it's actually more delicious than your straight-up chickpea hummus, and we all agreed! It was a magical night, made even more memorable by sharing a dish we all loved.
I leveled up this easy, dairy-free appetizer recipe with frizzled sage leaves and pomegranate arils!
If you know me, you know I love getting creative while I cook. When a recipe experiment tastes this great, I get so excited to share it with you! My creamy butternut squash hummus recipe with frizzled fresh sage leaves makes the perfect appetizer for holiday gatherings. Another plus? This delicious and easy-to-make hummus is vegan, dairy-free, and absolutely gorgeous after you garnish it with pomegranate. It’s definitely a Thanksgiving recipe for us this year!
Can you make hummus ahead of time?
It’s easy to prepare this hummus ahead of time—but you’ll garnish it right before serving. Your prepared hummus will keep for up to one week in the fridge, but you should open your pomegranate and frizzle your sage leaves just before serving. To garnish, simply sprinkle a few fresh pomegranate arils on top along with some frizzled fresh sage leaves for an absolutely beautiful presentation. It looks like you spent a long time making it but it truly is very easy!
This recipe is completely dairy-free and vegan!
It requires no special substitutions so it is easy-to-make and great for entertaining. When I plan for gatherings, I try to make sure I’m serving recipes that can be enjoyed by all my guests. If you need more dairy-free and vegan ideas, here is my Dairy-free Vegan White Chocolate Matcha Coconut Milk Recipe!
How to Frizzle Sage Leaves
Frizzling sage leaves is quick and easy, and the results are deliciously impressive. Here’s how: Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and place fresh sage leaves in the oil for about 30 seconds till they crisp. Place the fried sage leaves on a paper towel and use them as garnish on your hummus!
Pro tip: Keep that olive oil!
You can use it for other recipes (it will have a subtle taste of sage!) or use a little of it as a drizzle on the final hummus.
Want more holiday recipes?
It is no small feat to create a menu of appetizers, mains, and desserts for an entire gathering. So I’ve gathered some recipes here that I hope will inspire you in the kitchen this holiday season. My Eggplant Parmigiana recipe (featured in my Best Thanksgiving Recipes list) is highly requested in my house year round! And my Pine Cone Cheese Ball recipe (featured in My Best Christmas Recipes) list delights everyone during Christmas time.
And since you’ll most likely have some pomegranate arils left over, you might as well try your hand at my Maple Tintoretto: Pomegranate Bellini Cocktail recipe. I hope you enjoy these treasured recipes, from my family to yours! Cheers!
Butternut Squash Hummus Recipe with Frizzled Fresh Sage Leaves
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds) Note: you will only need half of the squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- A grind of fresh black pepper
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Olive oil
- 6 to 8 whole fresh sage leaves
- Olive oil
- Pomegranate arils
- Frizzled fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Using a large spoon, remove the seeds from the squash. You will only need half of the squash for this recipe. Want to use up the whole squash now? Just double the recipe!
- Place the squash, cut side up, in a baking dish. Fill the dish with about ½-inch of water. Sprinkle the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the salt, and black pepper. Roast the squash in the oven until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. When it’s cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the cooked squash from the rind. Place the cooked squash into the bowl of a food processor.
- Add the chickpeas, garlic, turmeric, nutmeg, and brown sugar or maple syrup. Using pulses, process the mixture until it’s nice and creamy. Add the tahini and lemon juice and continue to blend. With the food processor running, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, a little at a time, through the feed tube. Taste the hummus and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Now it’s time to lightly fry the fresh sage leaves. This method of cooking really brings out the flavor in the sage leaves and gives them a pleasant crunch. In a small saucepan, add enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat on medium-low heat. Using tongs, place the sage leaves into the olive oil, letting them crisp up. This process is quick, so watch them carefully! It will only take about 30 seconds to crisp them up.
- Using the tongs, remove the leaves from the oil and place them on a paper towel to dry.
- Place the hummus in a serving bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, garnish with a drizzle of some of the sage-infused olive oil, the frizzled sage leaves, and some pomegranate arils.
