HungryForever

CROSTINI WITH Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Chickpeas

If your pantry includes a window box of fresh herbs (mine does, and I highly recommend it), you can make this recipe even more delicious by substituting fresh basil and parsley for the dried herbs. Add ¼ cup of each fresh herb when you add the sun-dried tomato, and top the finished crostini with the fresh leaves for a colorful, lively presentation to go with the great flavors.

Servings

Ingredients

Crostini

1inch baguettecut into 24 diagonal slices ⅓thick
2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
teaspoon ½salt
teaspoon ½freshly ground black pepper
cup ¼extra-virgin olive oil
cup ¼oil-packed sun-dried tomatoesdrained and coarsely chopped

Dip

1 large garlic clove
1 can chickpeasdrained and rinsed, 15½-ounce, garbanzo beans
3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2tablespoons dried basil leaves
2tablespoons dried Italian parsley
Lemon zest for garnish

Instructions

To Make The Crostini

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, and lightly brush with oil. Toast in the oven until golden, about 8 minutes. (You can toast the bread 1 day ahead. Cool, then store airtight at room temperature.)

To Make The Dip

Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water, salt, and pepper. Process until the mixture is almost smooth. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Process until the mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the work bowl occasionally. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and dried herbs. Blend until the tomatoes and herbs are finely chopped. (The dip can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) To serve, spoon 1 teaspoon of the dip on each crostini, and garnish with lemon zest or fresh herbs.