Green Goddess Hummus

A delicious dip from Katie Reicher's new Seasons of Greens cookbook

When I think about my mom’s cookbook shelf, there are a few volumes that jump out in my memories, books that she has used throughout my life and continues to cook from year after year: The Silver Palate, James McNair’s Pie Cookbook, and The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison, the tome that introduced cooks across the country to the vegetarian cuisine of Greens restaurant in San Francisco. So I was absolutely thrilled when I heard about the restaurant’s new book, Seasons of Greens—A Collection of Recipes from the Iconic San Francisco Restaurant by chef Katie Reicher.

This gorgeous book (coming out next month) offers a window into the foods you’ll find at Greens today, but even if you don’t know the restaurant, this tome is a phenomenal resource for vegetarian cooking. I want to make everything from the rhubarb muhammara to the burrata toasts with balsamic cherries to the gorgeous spring minestrone—and there’s a whole chapter titled Snacks & Things to Share!

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For more quick-and-easy (and delicious!) meals, pre-order a copy of my book SNACKING DINNERS! As a bonus, you can sign up for added drink-pairing recipes, a free signed bookplate, and a chance to win a fun prize drawing. (The book comes out April 8th—pre-orders are a huge boost for sales rankings and encourage indie bookstores to stock the book.)

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I’ll be interviewing Katie for the California Table newsletter later this spring, but first I wanted to share this fantastic snacking recipe. As you can probably tell from last week’s Yogurt-Miso Green Goddess Dip recipe, I’m a big fan of a Green Goddess recipe, and I thought it would be fun to compare the dairy-based one from my book with this bright, delicious hummus. They’re both phenomenal ways to enjoy all those spring goodies—snap peas! asparagus! radishes!—calling to you at the farmers’ market.

Green Goddess Hummus

“This fun spring take on hummus was inspired by our farm, Green Gulch. As soon as the farm reopens for the spring season, we are just too excited to bring in as much produce as we can, as quickly as we can, so we often over-order for the first few weeks (can you blame us?). With this mountain of new spring herbs, plus some green garlic and avocados from Brokaw, the Green Goddess Hummus was born, and it is still our most popular hummus to date! Lightly sweet, super creamy, and full of those bright herbaceous flavors—you’ll be craving this hummus all through the spring.”

Makes 3 cups

1 medium avocado
2 cups (340 g) chickpeas, cooked and cooled (page 22)
¼ cup (10 g) packed fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup (10 g) packed fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh dill, stems removed
2 tablespoons fresh Italian Basil leaves, packed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green garlic coins
1 clove garlic
¼ cup (60 ml) good-quality extra-virgin olive oil (such as Sciabica)
¼ cup (65 g) tahini
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons salt

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Using a spoon, cut the avocado into chunks and then scoop out from the skin into the bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the hummus comes together, and a little texture remains. The herbs will have broken down into small flecks, and the mixture should have the consistency of a thick paste.

We prefer hummus with a bit of texture. But, if you prefer a completely smooth hummus, start by mixing the herbs, olive oil, tahini, and lemon juice in the pitcher of a blender and blend until smooth. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend again until the hummus comes together. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

NOTE
Green garlic is an essential ingredient in the spring! This immature garlic plant adds a nice bit of springy funky-fresh flavor without too much of a garlic bite. Look for green garlic with small bulbs and bright green tips. Just like scallions, you can use the entire plant—just trim the very tips of the grassy leaves as well as the root. Green garlic is widely available at farmers’ markets throughout the spring, but if you can’t find any, just substitute a couple extra cloves of garlic and it will be just as delicious.

Recipe excerpted from Seasons of Greens: A Collection of New Recipes from the Iconic San Francisco Restaurant by Katie Reicher, © 2025. Published by Weldon Owen.

Photographs © Erin Scott.