Herbed Hummus in Cucumber Cups

Have you ever had the kind of day where you were so busy, you felt like you had been travelling at 100 million miles per hour to get everything accomplished that you set out to do?  If so, you know that when you get home, the absolute last thing you feel like doing is making dinner for yourself.   Not to mention, it’s 100 million degrees (give or take) in your house, and turning on the oven or firing up the stove top just doesn’t sound like your idea of fun.  So, you pretty much give up on dinner.  You crash on the couch, limbs spread out in an attempt to avoid overheating, and watch the Olympics. Next thing you know, it’s 9pm, the house is still hot enough it could spontaneously start on fire, and your stomach is an empty pit. Just grumbling for pity.  Maybe skipping dinner was not a good idea at all?

You could microwave some popcorn or eat an ice cream sundae, but it’s late and those snacks are not at all healthy.  If you’re going to eat this late, it should probably be something that won’t keep you awake all night. So, scrounge around for those veggies in the crisper and pull that can of garbanzo beans out from the back of your pantry.  Because, hummus is the perfect way to have a snack for dinner and still feel healthy about it.  Plus, no cooking or baking required! Just right for this situation.

 But, let’s say that the above experience has never happened to you. You just love cooking every day, no matter how busy, hot, or lazy you are! In that case, I don’t really believe you. Still, you can bring these cucumber cups to your next summer party.  They don’t take long to make and they work perfectly as appetizers. No fork or knife required.

The key to preparing these cucumber cups is to scoop enough of the cucumber “guts” out from the center.  The cup should be more like a shell, thin enough that it won’t take a ton of effort to take a bite.  Just use a spoon to remove a portion of the center, then scrape the inside in a circular motion to remove the rest, and still keep the walls of the cup even.

Herbed Hummus in Cucumber Cups

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Serves	18
Prep time	20 minutes
Meal type	Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack, Starter

Ingredients

• 2 large cucumber (cut into 1" pieces)
• 1 small tomato (diced)
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup banana pepper rings (minced)

Hummus

• 1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs (we used oregano, sage, and basil)
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Hummus
1.	In a food processor bowl, add chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and herbs. Season well with salt & pepper. Turn food processor on and begin mixing.
2.	While food processor is still on, stream in olive oil, until hummus is desired consistency.
3.	In a small bowl, combine half of the hummus, diced tomato, and feta. Stir to combine.
4.	Use a spoon to remove guts of cucumber from each 1" piece. Scrape around the edges, so that the sides and bottom of cucumber are a thin shell.
5.	Fill each cucumber cup with 1 - 1 1/2 TBSP of hummus mixture. Top with chopped banana peppers.

This is my favorite combination of ingredients for hummus in the summer, full of fresh herbs and real lemon juice.  If you don’t want to get fancy with the cucumber cups, that’s ok, too! Just make the hummus for snacking.  It’s such an easy and quick way to prepare lunch or a light dinner.  This recipe makes more hummus that you will use for the cucumber cups, anyway.  Use the extra stuffed in a pita pocket or as a dip for some carrots, celery, and crackers.

 Hungry for more Greek inspired meals?

Gyro Sliders 

Chicken Souvlaki Salad with  Yogurt-Herb Dressing

Shared with: Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Potluck, Addicted to Recipes, On the Menu Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Fit & Fabulous Fridays

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