I love a loaded hummus situation. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember. This
Hummus with New Zealand Grass-fed Ground Lamb is a combo of smooth, freshly made hummus topped with the season’s most vibrant veggies and perfectly seasoned lamb is delish enough to be eaten on its own - but also a mega upgrade to a loaded hummus!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Okay, so let’s talk all things lamb because it’s been one of my favorite proteins since
culinary school, and to be honest, I don’t cook with it enough. That changes NOW!!
Today we’re using grass-fed ground lamb from New Zealand (Atkins Ranch to be
specific), and it’s the most delicious, pure and naturally raised meat available, end of
story. It’s leaner and more flavorful than anything you’ll find domestically here in the
US. Plus, New Zealand has one of the smallest environmental footprints of any red
meat production system in the world - something that I’m sure is equally as
important to you as it is to me!! You can learn more about New Zealand grass-fed
lamb, including where to find it near you, here.
New Zealand farmers are striving to give us a product that is better for you and the
planet. The pristine environment and temperate climate makes New Zealand one of
the few places in the world where pasture farming can reach its true potential. For
those of you who’ve had the pleasure of visiting New Zealand, I know you can speak
to this first hand! And until I work on a way of getting over there with my fam, I’ll be
purchasing New Zealand grass-fed lamb so I can have a slice of that freshness in
my own home!
Ingredients
For the Hummus
- Garbanzo Beans
- Tahini
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic
- Kosher Salt
For the Topping
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Persian Cucumbers
- Red Onion
- Feta Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- Sumac or Paprika
- New Zealand Grass-fed Ground Lamb
- Chopped Herbs
For the Lamb
- New Zealand Grass-fed Ground Lamb
- Yellow Onions
- Olive Oil
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Paprika
- Cinnamon
- Salt & Pepper
*Please see recipe card for Hummus with Ground Lamb below for a full list of ingredients and instructions
How to Make Hummus with Ground Lamb
For the Hummus
In a food processor, blend the chickpeas by themselves for 1
minute until powdery clumps form. Scrape down the sides and blend again until
everything is the same consistency. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and
blend until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of water at a
time, until you get a very smooth, light and creamy mixture. Taste and adjust
seasonings, adding more salt, garlic or lemon if needed.
For the Lamb
In a medium cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add
onion and cook until translucent. Increase the heat to high, add ground lamb, spices
and salt. Cook, breaking up the lamb into small pieces, until browned and cooked
through (5-6 minutes).
To Serve
To serve, top the hummus with all the toppings sprinkled over the top,
drizzle with olive oil and serve with freshly baked pita chips. Voila - perfect Hummus with Ground Lamb!
Variations and Substitutions
Ground Lamb - there’s no great sub for what is New Zealand Grass-fed Lamb, so
just keep your eyes peeled for it at your market! And you can use this this product locator if you want to make your life really easy! And word to the wise here - this is
delish loaded up on a rice bowl too! So maybe make a double batch and save some
for later in the week.
Fresh Herbs - While you could sub out dried herbs for the fresh herbs, it’s not quite
the same. So I’d encourage you to use the fresh herbs if you can find them!
Tips & Tricks
For smooth hummus - If you're feeling extra jazzy, pulverize the garbanzo beans in
the blender first without any of the other ingredients. Once those start to break
down, add everything else and go to town. Hot tips from my culinary school teacher
100 years ago!
For the best ground lamb - Use a heavy bottom cast iron skillet to get a nice crispy
outside to the ground lamb. And don’t skimp on the seasonings! They are delectable
when paired with the moist grass-fed lamb!
FAQs
Lamb is the perfect compliment for hummus. The spices and seasonings play perfectly into the creamy lemon and garlic base.
Skies the limit when it comes to toppings! I love this cucumber, tomato and feta mixture but it's also great with an olive tapenade, some roasted vegetables or just a sprinkle of sumac and olive oil.
More Hummus Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Hummus with Ground Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans drained and peeled
- ½ cup tahini
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice more as needed
- 2-3 small cloves garlic
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
For the Topping
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 Persian cucumbers diced same size as tomatoes
- ¼ medium red onion small dice
- ½ lemon juiced
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sumac or paprika
- 1-2 cups Seasoned Ground Lamb recipe below
- 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs or a mix of parsley, mint, and chives
For the Lamb
- 8 ounces New Zealand Grass-fed Ground Lamb
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Hummus:
- In a food processor, blend the chickpeas by themselves for 1 minute until powdery clumps form. Scrape down the sides and blend again until everything is the same consistency. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and blend until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until you get a very smooth, light and creamy mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, garlic or lemon if needed.
For the Lamb:
- In a medium cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Increase the heat to high, add ground lamb, spices and salt. Cook, breaking up the lamb into small pieces, until browned and cooked through (5-6 minutes).
- To serve, top the hummus with all the toppings sprinkled over the top, drizzle with olive oil and serve with freshly baked pita chips.
Hi. I made this, tonight, and it was so good!
I slacked with the hummus and just bought a decent one and added in lemon juice and garlic and whipped it to make it light and airy.
Next time I want to try it with some garbanzos that I’ve made in the IP - hoping they’ll be soft enough so I can skip the peeling part.
This totally hit the spot - thanks!
This recipe is amazing, I made this for company and they raved about it! Will make again for sure!
Oh wow, I made this and really didn't know what to expect. And man was it ever delicious!!! We love lamb here in this house and I ground it up myself. Between 4 people we ate every bit of it. So yummy
I've made a ton of your recipes: basil vinaigrette and your chicken enchiladas being on repeat. However ..today all that changed. This lamb hummus situation is FANTASTIC! I made it for lunch and cannot wait to have it again for dinner. I tossed the pita in olive oil, kosher salt and sumac before baking. Yeah.... Also added a jalepeno from my garden to my hummus.
Ridiculous.
LOVE to hear it! xx
A winner from every aspect! This looks like an amazing summer dinner.