Do you love hummus as much as I do? If you do, you’ve stumbled upon the right blog, my friend, because I’m obsessed! (For proof, just check out my “Hummus with Rosemary & Lemon” and “Greek Hummus” recipes). However, I often hear from the strict paleo crowd how hummus is not as healthy as it could be because of the chickpeas, which are legumes and therefore not allowed on the paleo diet. So I say… Let them eat cauliflower! This Roasted Cauliflower Hummus is just as delicious as the classic chickpea hummus, but it’s 100% Paleo and Vegan.
PALEO & VEGAN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS
I love this dip because it’s a unifier and a no-brainer when you have a crowd for dinner, a party, or even a picnic. It can be prepared well ahead of time, it travels well, and it checks all the boxes:
- Keto-friendly ✅
- Low-carb ✅
- Paleo ✅
- Gluten-free ✅
- Grain-free ✅
- Dairy-free ✅
- Vegan ✅
- Delicious ✅
How can you resist! Am I right? Plus, it checks the most important box in my culinary world: it has no empty calories and no processed ingredients. This is nutrient-dense real food at its best.
INGREDIENTS FOR ROASTED CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS
The basic ingredients are a bunch of humble usual suspects you can find in any grocery store. Just make sure you source high-quality organic staples as much as possible because your gut will thank you for it.
For my recipe the shopping list is:
- Cauliflower
- Cashews
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Cumin
- Cayenne
- Himalayan Salt
- Black Pepper
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Filtered Water
- Pine Nuts (garnish)
- Italian Parsley (garnish)
- Paprika (garnish)
As you can see, all of the above ingredients are packed with nutrients and some are even considered superfoods, like garlic, which here is used in all its raw power. And depending on how garlicky you can take it, this hummus has 3 different levels:
- Staying-home garlicky
- Single-and-loving-it
- Mother-of-Dragons 🔥
I think I tend to go for the latter 🤭
HOW TO MAKE PROPERLY PALEO HUMMUS
As I was saying earlier, legumes without edible pods, such as chickpeas, are not considered paleo. The reason is due to their high content of antinutrients, such as lectins and phytic acid. However, there is some controversy on the subject in some echelons of the paleo community. Some argue that legumes are way too rich in nutrients to be completely eliminated, but the general view is that a proper paleo diet does not include beans and legumes. That’s where roasted cauliflower comes in handy for hummus lovers on a paleo diet, but also those on low-carb diets, such as keto, or those who are simply trying to lose some weight.
Another important thing is to avoid adding dairy, as dairy products are not paleo-approved. I know some cauliflower hummus recipes include either yogurt or sour cream, but that would defeat the purpose of making a different hummus without chickpeas that suits a paleo WOE. I used cashews to make a quick and easy cashew butter to make the hummus smooth and creamy.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE PALEO ROASTED CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS
Here we go! It’s movie time! As I always say: if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Enjoy the show and check out how easy it is to make this tasty recipe.
And that’s how simple it is! Aside from roasting the cauliflower, all you need to do is toss and blend all the ingredients in a food processor. I have used this model for about 20 years, and it’s never let me down. And then to keep it light and low-carb, I suggest making a spread that includes celery sticks, carrot sticks, and even cucumber slices. Complete the setting with some gluten-free chips (I have a great recipe for cassava chips, which are 100% grain-free and paleo). Enjoy!
Here’s the full recipe for you! I hope you try it because it’s easy, healthy, and totally addictive.
PALEO ROASTED CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs cauliflower (medium head) cored, chopped and roasted
- 1 cup cashews raw
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 1/2 tsp cumin adjust to taste
- 1/4 tsp cayenne adjust to taste
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt adjust to taste
- 1/3 tsp black pepper ground
- 1/4 tsp paprika garnish
- 1.5 tbsp pine nuts toasted for garnish
- 2 tbsp Italian parsley chopped for garnish
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ¾ cup filtered water adjust as needed
Instructions
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Core and chop the cauliflower. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place florets on top and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until tender.
- Remove cauliflower from the oven and let it cool off for 5-10 minutes.
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS
- Place cashews in the food processor and blend until you have a coarse meal.
- Add a pinch of salt and 1-2 tbsp of filtered water and keep blending until you have a butter (see video)
- Add roasted cauliflower florets, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper, cayenne & cumin. Start pulsing and blending and let the machine go for a minute.
- Turn it off. With a spatula, scrape the sides of the food processor to make sure everything is within blades’ reach, so it all gets evenly chopped and smoothly blended.
- Start the machine again and through the hole at the top trickle in the filtered water. Then trickle in the extra-virgin olive oil. Adding the water and olive oil this way will distribute it evenly through the dip.
- You shouldn't need to, but add more liquid if it’s a bit dry.
- Turn off the food processor and serve the hummus in a bowl. Garnish with a dusting of paprika, toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley and drizzle some olive oil. It's soooo good!
Nutrition
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