I love this artichoke dip! It’s light, lemony and easy to make.

Artichokes are excellent for you. They are high in antioxidants and are a rich source of vitamins, fibre and minerals. Ideally, you should boil or steam fresh artichokes and scrape out the hearts, though this can be time-consuming. An alternative is to buy the artichoke hearts marinated.

Marinated artichokes have a rich flavour which makes them great for dips, casseroles, salads or appetizers. When you buy them, choose the ones in a glass jar as opposed to a metal can. They taste better and are better for your health. Tetra Pak carton packaging is also a healthy choice.

For this recipe, I couldn’t find the water packed kind and settled for the ones in olive oil. Marinated artichokes are often high in sodium. For this recipe, whether you choose artichokes in water or olive oil, strain them and rinse them out well under running water.

Bon appétit!

Artichoke, chickpeas and lemon dip

• 1-2 garlic buds, pressed
• 3 tablespoons (tbsps) tahini paste
• 400 gr. (14 ounces) jar of chickpeas, strained and rinsed well (makes 1½ cups strained chickpeas)
• 400 gr. (14 ounces) jar of artichoke hearts, strained and rinsed well (makes 1½ cups strained artichoke hearts)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon peel, finely grated
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon (tsp) powdered cumin
• 1 tsp sumac
• A dash of pink salt, to taste.
• A fine drizzle of olive oil on top of serving portion (option)

Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, drizzle a little olive oil on top and garnish or serve plain. Serve with crisps, pita bread slices and/or raw vegetables. Store in a covered container in fridge.