Smoked carrot hummus

Serve it as a dip for raw vegetables, as an appetiser spread on toasted bread, or turn it into a meal with some crumbled goat cheese

Years ago, attending a food blogger conference in London, I found myself with a group of friends in one of Ottolenghi’s new restaurants. It was the first time I heard about him, and the first time I experienced a mezze style meal.

That food conference was a turning point for my career in food, so I have fond memories of that meal, of all the chats, of the friends for life I made on that occasion, of the inspiration and the vibrant energy I experienced so clearly sitting at that crowded table.

From that meal, I also brought back an infinite love for a dip of carrot hummus I had tried, licking the bowl clean.

Since that moment, I’ve made it countless times, eyeballing the ingredients to come close to that first carrot hummus I had tried in a cheerful meal in London: it tasted like a new perspective on life, high expectations, enthusiasm and inspiration.

Serve the carrot hummus as a dip for raw vegetables, as an appetiser spread on toasted semolina bread, or turn it into a meal with some crumbled goat cheese.