Charcuterie boards are such a good way to whip together easy munchies for those nights that you’re staying in with friends or family or have to bring a snack to an event or pot luck. Charcuterie boards are also a beautiful centrepiece. They are so simple but you can fill them with colour, texture, and so many different treats to snack on. People will be impressed by the presentation and completely forget you actually didn’t have to cook to pull this one-off. Seriously though, if you’re a bad cook, a charcuterie board needs to be your go-to. For my charcuterie boards, I usually like to still make up some sort of dip on my own. You know you can’t keep me out of the kitchen completely! However, this recipe is super simple and adds that fall and holiday flavour of pumpkin to your board. Many people think hummus must be hard to make, and always buy the stuff in the grocery store, but it’s actually so easy and tastes 100 times better to make it homemade. All you need is some chickpeas, pumpkin, and a few other simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, and voila, a tasty, beautiful dip for your charcuterie board.
Simply7 Snacks = a charcuterie board staple
One of my biggest secrets that I also love to add to charcuterie boards is Simple 7 Snacks. Their snacks are made from clean ingredients and have no added preservatives. They also have 0 trans fat, no artificial colours or flavours, and who doesn’t love a delicious snack you can grab-and-go without feeling guilty. I’m obsessed with Simple 7’s Lentil and Quinoa Chips in particular. These chips are perfect when you’re craving something salty with a crunch, but are so much better for you than a typical processed chip. Each of these chips come in a variety of flavours too, and I love to dip them in my pumpkin hummus. Yum! I’m drooling over here. I even used some crushed Simply7 Sea Salt Chips to top my stuffed figs for a little crunch. These figs you can either eat raw or baked, and they really add that “WOW” factor to your charcuterie board. Anyway, back to the pumpkin hummus recipe…
The perfect holiday hummus
This hummus recipe makes the perfect dip. It’s sweet, with a bit of a spice, and super flavourful. The star ingredients are obviously the pumpkin and chickpeas. Chickpeas, of course, have so many health benefits. They’re so good for you! With some of their highlights being:
Can help keep your diet under control Rich in plant-based protein Can support blood sugar control Can help benefit digestion Protect you from certain chronic diseases Inexpensive and so easy to add to your diet
The pumpkin in this recipe is high in antioxidants, packed with vitamins which can boost your immunity during cold and flu season especially, help promote healthy skin, and it’s super underrated considering you can add it to almost anything. Throw it in your smoothie, bake with it, add it to soups or pasta sauces, or use it in one of these recipes I have up on my blog:
Pumpkin Seed Pasta Salad Creamy Pumpkin & Sage Bechamel
Throw some fresh vegetables, vegan cheeses, and pickled veggies to your board for colour, and voila, an easy appetizer that will please a crowd!
