Most people I know love hummus. Some people I know like hummus. No one I know dislikes hummus (amiright?!). It’s a dip, it’s a spread, it’s a…. salad dressing? I’ve been adding a big spoonful of hummus to my salads for a while now, but I thought recently why not just thin it out and make the hummus the dressing? Eureka.

The salad base I decided on was inspired by the classic veggies ‘n dip plate – carrots and celery. The finely shredded cabbage adds fullness to the plate and holds up well to the creamy dressing.

I remember reading some salad tips in the front of a Mollie Katzen cookbook (Yes, I read all of the opening chapters of cookbooks. In fact I love getting into bed and reading a cookbook cover to cover. Allow me this.), and she recommended in raw vegetable salads keeping pieces small to save people “the arduous task” of chewing. This line has stuck with me for years. At first glance it seems silly, but actually keeping everything finely chopped or shredded (especially with hard veggies like carrots), allows you to really pack in the vegetables instead of just using them as a delivery mechanism for the hummus dressing. For this reason, I really recommend using a mandoline, but a sharp knife (for the cabbage and celery) and box grater (for the carrots) can work just as well with a bit of effort.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Veggies + Hummus Salad

Ingredients

Salad

1/2 white cabbage
5 carrots
1 heart celery

Hummus Dressing

1 can chickpeas
3/4 cup EVOO
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin

Instructions

Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth.
Using a mandoline, finely slice the cabbage, carrots and celery (alternatively, use a sharp knife to finely slice the cabbage and celery, and coarsely grate the carrot).
Toss salad ingredients in a mixing bowl and serve with the dressing on the side or drizzled on top.