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Traditional Lebanese Hummus with Spiced Meat makes a filling appetizer or dinner recipe your whole family will enjoy. My ancestors have eaten this dish for generations, and I proudly serve it for my husband and kids to pass on that tradition. And let’s not forget, it’s also one of those super simple recipes that take less than 3o minutes to make!
WHAT IS LEBANESE HUMMUS WITH SPICED MEAT
This traditional Lebanese dish features a spiced meat mixture lofted on top of a creamy bowl of fresh hummus. While traditional bowls of hummus with beef use cooked lamb, this adaptation uses beef fillet chopped into small bites. It’s lean, it’s filling and can be served as a main dish or appetizer.
WHY WE LOVE THIS DISH
I love making and serving this easy and healthy traditional dish. Both younger and older family members enjoy this filling recipe. It’s a great way for my kids to experience a little bit of their Lebanese roots as well as provide them with one of my favorite comfort dishes.
Another reason I love making this spiced beef with hummus is that it’s a quick meal to make. With just less than 30 minutes, you can make and serve a filling dish for your family. This really comes in handy on those busy weeknights when you just want to put something together quickly.
You can make this dish in advance. If you enjoy meal prepping you can make the hummus and the spiced beef mixture in advance. Simply store them in separate containers and re-heat the spiced meat mixture before you serve.
HOW TO MAKE LEBANESE HUMMUS WITH SPICED MEAT
INGREDIENTS
Spiced Beef Topping– a spiced topping of beef fillet, onion, 7 spice, salt, paprika, and pine nuts sits on top of the homemade hummus.
Creamy Lebanese Hummus– traditional Lebanese hummus is made from chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice tahini, salt, and ice.
Garnish– finish off the dish with halved grape tomatoes and roughly chopped parsley.
STEPS
To make the hummus, rinse and drain the chickpeas. If you are going for a smoother texture, peel the chickpeas.
In the bowl of a food processor add chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, ice, and salt. Blend until completely smooth. Transfer the hummus to a shallow plate and smooth out the hummus with the back of your spoon to make a well for the spiced beef. Place the bowl in the fridge while you prepare the beef.
To make the spiced beef mixture, dice the beef into very small pieces. Finely dice the onion and set aside.
In a 12 inch non-stick skillet heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat add the onions and cook until they are caramelized. Next, add the beef and sauté for roughly 5 minutes until the water dries out and the beef gets a golden color. Season the beef and onion mixture with 7 spice, salt, and paprika. Mix the beef and spices together and cook for another 2 minutes.
Next, toss in the toasted pine nuts and remove the spice meat from heat. Let it cool for about 5 minutes and then scoop the beef mixture onto the middle of the hummus. Garnish with chopped parsley and halved grape tomatoes.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS 7 SPICE SEASONING?
One of the most commonly used spice blends in Lebanon is seven-spice. It is made from a mixture of black pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves, cumin, ground coriander, and white pepper.
You can buy this spice blend pre-made on Amazon or make your own. Check out my Pinterest Board Sauces and Seasonings for a few make your own recipes.
HOW DO YOU TOAST PINE NUTS?
To help bring out the nutty flavor in your pine nuts and give the spiced meat mixture an extra crunch simply toast your pine nuts before using them.
To toast your pine nuts line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and bake the nuts for about 5-7 minutes at 350°F. Shake or turn the pine nuts halfway through to prevent any burning or over toasting of the nuts.
WHAT DO YOU SERVE IT WITH?
Hummus with spiced meat makes a delicious appetizer you can share with others. Serve it up with a warm side of pita or fresh french fries. It’s also filling enough to make a delicious dinner recipe that can be served by itself or with pita bread. You can also serve this savory hummus dish with a side salad to get a serving of vegetables in. You might think I am crazy, but I love having this with ketchup! LOL. The first time my husband saw me do that, his first words were “Eww”, but I seriously LOVE having it like that. I know no one eats ketchup and humus together, but having the beef in there and eating it with pita bread, it tastes so good with ketchup. You don’t have to try it, but you could :).
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OTHER LEBANESE RECIPES
- Maghmour- Lebanese Moussaka
- Lebanese Rice Pudding
- Lebanese Spicy Potatoes- Batata Harra
- Sheikh El Mahshi
Lebanese Hummus with Spiced Meat
Ingredients
Hummus
- 2 cans Chickpeas, drained
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ c. Lemon Juice
- ⅓ c. Tahini
- 2-3 Ice Cubes
- 1 tsp. Salt, more to taste
Spiced Beef
- 1 Beef Fillet
- 1 Onion, small
- 1 Tbsp. 7 Spice
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp. Pine Nuts, toasted
- ¾ tsp. Salt
Garnishes
- Chopped Parsley
- ½ c. Grape Tomatoes, Halved
Instructions
- To prepare hummus, place the chick peas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, ice cubes, and salt in the base of a food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer to a shallow plate and smoothen out the hummus with the back of your spoon in a round form towards the outside to create a ring on the edge, leaving a shallow center for the beef. Refrigerate while you cook the beef.
- To make the spiced beef mixture, mince the beef into very small pieces. Dice the onion thinly and set aside.
- In a 12 inch non-stick skillet, heat the onion and add the onions. Cook until caramelized. Add the beef and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the water cooks out and the beef gets a golden color. Next add the salt, paprika, and 7 spice. Mix together and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Toss the toasted pine nuts into the skillet and remove from heat. Let the beef mixture cool for about 5 minutes then scoop the beef into the middle of the hummus plate.
- Garnish with tomatoes and chopped parsley. Serve with warm pita bread or french fries.
Notes
- If you are going for a smoother texture, peel the chickpeas.
- Use good quality tahini. Tahini paste is a key ingredient in an authentic hummus recipe.
- For fluffy hummus, add ice cube while blending! Ice cubes help in whipping the hummus into a creamier texture.
- You can add a tiny bit of hot water through the opener of the food processor as blending the hummus. This helps continue to smooth the hummus even more until it's utterly creamy.
- To tame its pungency, allow minced garlic to sit in a little bit of lemon juice for a few minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and chopped tomatoes.
- If you cannot find beef fillet you could also use any stew meat.
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