Ingredients

Scale

Butternut Hummus Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, 2 3/4 pound, cut into 1/2” cubes
1 bulb of garlic, cloves peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 Teaspoon sea salt
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons tahini
Sea salt to taste

Hummus Toppings:

1 cup of roasted butternut cubes, reserved from above
2 cups pomegranate arils
Drizzle of olive oil
1/2 cup candied pumpkin seeds, see notes

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the butternut cubes evenly over the 2 baking sheets. Place the garlic cloves on one of the pans, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over each of the pans. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin over each of the pans, and sprinkle the sea salt and pepper evenly over both. Toss the butternut cubes to combine and roast them in the oven, stirring twice during the cooking process, until they’re golden brown and soft to the middle, about 35 minutes.
Be sure and check on the garlic cloves around 7-15 minutes into the roasting time, and pull them out when they’re golden and softened. The timing will vary every time depending on the size of your garlic cloves. Mine were rather large, and they took 15 minutes to cook.
When the garlic cloves and butternut squash are done roasting, let them cool to warm or room temperature. Then, reserve 1 cup of the butternut cubes for the topping. Add the remaining butternut with the garlic into a 12-cup food processor along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of cumin, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and tahini. Process until the hummus is smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.
To serve, spread the hummus into a wide serving dish or two depending on the size, that’s about 2-3″ deep. Top the hummus with the reserved butternut cubes, pomegranate arils, and candied pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil.
Serve immediately with your choice of dippers like fresh cut veggies, and pita chips/or crackers.
If you plan on keeping the hummus for a few days, keep the toppings separate from the hummus, and the pumpkin seeds should go into an airtight container at room temperature. Everything else can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

Candied pumpkin seeds add a nice touch, but you can use regular toasted pumpkin seeds.
To make the candied pumpkin seeds, toast them over medium heat in a cast iron skillet, shaking the pan often to evenly toast them. Then add 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, a pinch of sea salt, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Stir quickly to combine, then remove the pan from the heat and spread the pumpkin seeds over parchment paper to cool. Do not leave the pumpkin seeds in the pan as they cool, they will stick.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins