Revision-friendly wild garlic hummus

The nation loves hummus, but making it with wild garlic takes it to another level of deliciousness...

Revision-friendly wild garlic hummus

When it’s pouring with rain, it’s easy to feel fed up, particularly if everywhere you walk is soggy underfoot. But as with life, there is usually a reason for everything, and when April comes around and muddy ground suddenly bursts into life and presents a carpet of lush, emerald green, wild garlic, you’ll forget about the squelchy walks because it’s time to start foraging. This glorious plant can be cooked and eaten as a whole leaf, like spinach, or to add flavour as you would with fresh herbs. It tends to grow in rural areas near streams or rivers in soggier ground. If you're in town, check out the local parks or try your local farmers market. 

The season for wild garlic is a couple of months long but I wish it was all year round. The gentle, spring-like scent works in so many dishes that it’s easy to find yourself using it at every meal, whether finely chopped in scrambled eggs, as a base for zingy tomato soup at lunch, or as a simple marinade for the Sunday roast.

This Easter holiday our house is in revision mode with hard-working teenagers trying to cram everything they have learnt in the last few years into the last remaining weeks before exams. More than ever, they need regular fueling with tasty, inspiring food that helps make the relentless studying more bearable. This wild garlic hummus is absolutely perfect for a snack or light lunch and needs nothing more than a pile of lightly toasted crusty bread and somewhere away from a paper-strewn desk to eat it. Makes enough for 4 as a starter.

1 tin of chickpeas, drained

40g wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped

3 tbsp tahini

Juice of 1 lemon

50ml cold water

½ tsp. Maldon salt

½ tbsp. olive oil plus extra for drizzling

Good pinch of smoked paprika flakes

Put the chickpeas, wild garlic, tahini, lemon juice into a food processor and blitz into a paste. While the motor is still running add the water and oil down the feeder tube. Process until very smooth, adding a little more oil if needed. Add the salt and paprika, taste and add more if needed, drizzle with olive oil and serve.