The recipe for today, Turmeric Hummus, is actually a very special recipe.
I developed this recipe, and am writing this post, in honor of National Cancer Survivors Day on June 5th. I was invited by Heather Von St. James, who is a mesothelioma survivor, to participate in a blogging initiative to raise awareness of this day and to celebrate all survivors. Heather was diagnosed with a rare cancer called mesothelioma and told she only had 15 months to live, this was shortly after she gave birth to her daughter Lily. After a risky life changing surgery, chemo, and radiation, she was declared cancer free. This was huge for her considering most who are diagnosed with meso do not make it two years post-diagnosis. Her mission now is to be a voice for the victims, and advocate for days like NCSD!
Her story of how she was diagnosed, the treatment she went through, and her journey to obtaining her new normal is incredible, and you can read all about it HERE.
Turmeric is thought to help prevent several forms of cancer, including breast, lung, and colon. It actually has several mechanisms for doing this, but one of them is reducing the ability of the cancer cells to grow a vascular network to obtain oxygen and fuel from the bloodstream.
So while you are feeding on this yummy hummus, you could be ‘starving’ any potential cancer cells loitering about your body. Definitely sign me up for that!
Another cancer fighting ingredient in this recipe is garbanzo beans, or chickpeas. During the process of digesting chickpeas, a substance is produced that is thought to induce self-destruction of cancer cells. Ha! Take that, any of you cells that were thinking of going rogue and mutating into cancer cells!
Most people have been touched by cancer in one way or another. I myself have had a very personal experience with cancer, when my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer 10 years ago this month, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer only 3 weeks later. Our boys were only 6 and 8 years old at the time.
That period in our lives was incredibly stressful, as you can imagine, but we both made it through treatment and have been able to continue on with our lives, thanks to our talented and caring medical teams, and our friends and family without whose support we would have been lost. If you want to know more about my story, check out my Dizzy Busy Survivor page for photos and additional information on my experience with cancer, as well as support resources for anyone diagnosed with breast cancer.
That being said, in order to celebrate my husband’s and my 10 years of survival, as well as National Cancer Survivors Day, I am going to make massive amounts of this hummus! I am not exaggerating when I say that I really can’t get enough of it, it has so much flavor and a smooth, creamy texture.
And don’t forget to serve it with some broccoli and cauliflower florets to get a double dose of those cancer fighting nutrients! 😀
- 2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained (reserve ½ cup of the liquid)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Combine all ingredients plus about ¼ cup of the chickpea liquid in a food processor.
- Process for about 1 minute.
- Check the consistency, and add more of the chickpea liquid if desired.
- Serve with veggies or pita bread for dipping!
Enjoy!
Note: This post has been shared at THESE link parties!
Here are a few more you might like...
CJ says
The recipe looks awesome, and Heather’s story is amazing!
Helen Fern says
I love hummus – this one is so bright and beautiful! Need to give it a try for sure! Thanks for linking up at What’s for Dinner
Audrey says
Beautiful dish and a beautiful reason for posting it! Thanks for sharing on Creative K Kids Tasty Tuesdays.
Marisa says
This dish looks yummy and beautiful! I never knew about the positive benefits of turmeric before, but I’m glad I know now. I’m also very glad both you and your husband survived cancer- that must have been a very trying time. Thanks so much for sharing this post and recipe with #FamilyJoy Blog Link-Up Party! 🙂
Leslie says
I had some hummus yesterday for lunch. It was roasted red pepper & I had it with a few pretzels, I love it! I bet this is tasty too.
Vicky says
I just made this, and overall it is good. However, it has a very mild flavor (which turmeric tends to have) and a lot of olive oil. Next time I would add 1/2 cup of tahini, not add the sesame oil, and cut the olive oil amount in half. If it needed more liquid I would add more lemon juice. Those things will increase the savory-ness. Also, you can try fresh turmeric in the recipe, instead of powdered. Just dice it up and then pulse together with the garlic and some of the oil or lemon juice to puree the combo before adding the other ingredients. Make sure you add the pepper into the recipe. That enhances the absorption of the cancer fighting component in turmeric! The book How Not to Die by Dr. Greger has lots of details on the benefits of turmeric and pepper, and of course many other herbs and plants that fight and prevent cancer.
Kristin King says
Thanks for the suggestions! There are definitely many ways to do this. Most of the ingredient decisions I make are based on what I generally have on hand, ingredients that keep for a long time, and/or items that lend themselves to the easiest prep, since my main target audience (busy moms) typically prefers those types of ingredients. Of course anyone is free to add/subtract/change anything! I had not heard about adding in pepper to enhance the cancer fighting action of the turmeric, I will definitely look into that. I will look into that book as well. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Vicky says
Thank you for sharing this great and flexible recipe! What a great way to get in a daily dose of turmeric 🙂
f says
I loved this post, having family members who are working with cancer diagnoses – both the chickpea and the turmeric are so great – and taste wonderful! Thanks for bringing this by Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
Morgan says
This looks delicious! It’s always great when you can find a treat that’s both tasty and healthy! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Ashleigh Burgess says
Gosh the colour in that hummus is brilliant! Yummy!
Arvind Prajapati says
This recipe is superb! Its very easy to make and the combination of spices work perfectly. I don’t think I’ll ever need to buy hummus again!
Kristin King says
So happy to hear that! Glad you liked it and thanks so much for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
Wow! I know I would love this! Great idea to add turmeric! Thanks for sharing!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
I love the flavor of tumeric! Thanks for sharing at the what’s for dinner party! Hope you were able to visit some of the other great posts this week.
Miz Helen says
This is a great dip! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Ashley Elizabeth says
Oh, how delicious!!! I love turmeric, and I love hummus — WINNER! Thanks for sharing with #HomeMattersParty!