Healthy-ish shared appetizers can be hard to come by, but I’ve developed a new favorite based on some of my and Alex’s favorite Mediterranean toppings for our Greek salad and gyro fixes. A deconstructed baking dish converts store-bought ingredients into a cohesive palette of perfection. Feel free to go homemade if you have a favorite hummus recipe from a cookbook (I love Molly Yeh’s) — and next time, I plan to try a version in which I layer the ingredients vertically in a trifle dish!
Mix and match your preferred olives, vegetables and dips for a Mediterranean feast! Place mini spoons in each ingredient so guests can pick and choose what to plate, or encourage them to dip chips directly in the dish and mix it up!
Serves 12
1 10-ounce package regular hummus
1 10-ounce package roasted red pepper hummus
1 jar olive tapenade
1 jar pitted kalamata olives
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red onion, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Sesame seeds
Harissa
1 large bag pita chips
1. In a small bowl, mix cherry tomatoes with basil, salt and olive oil. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes (or more). Meanwhile, place cucumbers in a second bowl and toss with sesame seeds and olive oil.
2. Begin with a 9x13 baking dish. Alternate ingredients in a 1-2-inch vertical, balancing a spreadable dip with a solid vegetable or legume. For example, sandwich your garbanzo beans and tomatoes with a spread of hummus to keep ingredients held together, like glue!
3. After filling entirety of baking dish (feel free to alternate twice!), sprinkle entire dish with salt and pepper. Garnish hummus and chickpeas with harissa seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve alongside pita chips.
