Hummus with Spiced Lamb (Hummus bil Lahme) is a creamy chickpea dip topped with seared spiced lamb. It’s an authentic Middle Eastern recipe that turns a plate of hummus into a spectacular meal.
hummus with spiced lamb is luscious and so easy to make!
what you’ll need for hummus with spiced lamb:
- lean lamb ~ you can also use beef. Some recipes use ground meat.
- Middle Eastern spice mix, I used ras el hanout, a blend of paprika, allspice, turmeric, rosemary, roses, cinnamon, and cumin
- olive oil
- lemon
- toasted almonds
- salt and pepper
- hummus
the process is simple and so quick
Rub the chopped lean lamb with your spices, then quickly sear in a hot pan, douse in lemon juice, and lay it all on top of the bed of creamy hummus. The plate gets showered with toasted almonds and olive oil. The meat takes just minutes, and the hummus can be made ahead or bought. Serve it with pita bread or grilled laffa bread.
this dish is all about the spice
We have a new spice stand at our farmer’s market. They set out all the spices in big bowls just like in a middle eastern souk, or open air market. The problem is that, until this week, health department regulations required that they surround the spices with an ungainly wall of plastic wrap. It made it hard to see and impossible to smell the many spices, kind of defeating the whole purpose. This week the plastic was gone; they compromised with the authorities, and pre-packaged all the spices in little bags beforehand, leaving the open bowls for display purposes only. Not quite as romantic, but it works. I picked up a packet of their tagine spice blend. It made this dish a snap to make, and you’ll find similar Middle Eastern spice mixes in the spice aisle of your supermarket.
the Mediterranean way with meat
This dish is a good example of how, when I do eat meat, I like to use it as an accent rather than as the centerpiece of my meals. Mediterranean cuisine is known for this, and that’s partly why it’s such a healthy diet.
make this recipe vegan
You can make this a vegan dish by using an earthy mix of mushrooms in place of the meat. Give them the same searing and spice treatment and you’ll hardly know the difference!
The spiced lemony juices run down into the hummus and make this really delicious. The contrast of temperatures, flavors, and textures is truly spectacular. Please try it!
more fun hummus recipes
- Lemon Artichoke Hummus
- Farmer’s Market Hummus
- Warm Hummus with Mushrooms
- 50 Ways to Hack Your Hummus
Hummus with Spiced Lamb
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb lean lamb, cut into small pieces
- 2 tsp Ras al hanout, *see notes
- salt and freshly cracked pepper
- olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 6 servings homemade hummus, or store bought
Instructions
- Rub the pieces of lamb with the spices, salt and pepper, and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Prepare the hummus by spreading it out on a plate, making it thicker on the edges and shallower in the center to make a space for the meat.
- Heat a frying pan on medium high with a small amount of oil and sear the meat on all sides until browned and cooked through, this will only take a minute or two, but make sure the heat is high enough to sear the meat so that you get some good browning for flavor. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, swirl it around, and then put the meat directly on top of the hummus. making sure you get all the juices.
- Sprinkle the plate with the almonds and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with pita or laffa bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi Sue, this looks amazingly grand as usual, but I was just wondering about the ratio of the spices in the Spice Mix? Knowing some of the toxicity levels of these gorgeous ingredients I’ve put a TBSP each of Paprika, Turmeric & Cumin with a TSP of Allspice and Cinnamon (with fresh Rosemary from the garden). I’ve tasted and liked the end product, but I note that the photos have a cinnamon stick etc etc. Anyways just wondering, it all smells super and the lamb is just festering away in this spice marinade before cooking! Don’t rush with an answer as it’ll give me the excuse to make a second meal. Cheers!
You’ve inspired me to do a separate post detailing how to make your own Mid East spice blend, Michael. The cinnamon stick is in the photo for visual appeal. You can grind your own, but you’ll need a pretty powerful spice grinder. The ratios of spices in this kind of mix varies greatly, so feel free to go with what tastes good to you 🙂
Wow! This looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it. I bet it would be great with a cucumber salad on the side too. Yum…I need to buy more paprika.
That lamb looks spectacular! And I love the idea of the open spice stand–at least you still get to smell all the demonstration bowls!
the texture of your hummus looks AMAZING! when we’re out to eat, the carnivorous men in my life always shake their heads when i order hummus instead of something meaty, but i love the stuff!
I could chow down on this! Seriously, the hubs and I would make quick work of this. Those flavors have my cheeks tingling just thinking about them. And piled atop the hummus…pass me the bread… Okay, guess I’m making this!
Yeah, the lemon with the spices were an amazing combination. I’m on an international kick, for sure. I was just thinking about you because I have a hankering for tamales. I’m sure you’ve made them, I have to search your blog and see.