We had the great fortune of joining our friend Kanchan Koya, PhD. of @chiefspicemama in her Brooklyn kitchen to talk all about the power of food, and create this delicious, simple and healthful spiced dip. As Kanchan so beautifully says, “food has power — just come back to the basics, eat real food, mostly plants, and have fun with it.” We hope that you have fun with this tasty recipe.

Yield

4-6 servings as an appetizer

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 2 15 oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup roughly chopped roasted drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup plain regular or plant based yogurt
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• Olive oil for serving
• Freshly chopped vegetables of choice for dipping (I like carrots, fennel, celery, cucumbers, radishes and cherry tomatoes)

Method

1. Mix the sumac, oregano and sesame seeds and set aside. This is your za'atar blend and can be stored in an airtight container away from heat and light for 3-6 months.
2. Blend the beans, peppers, garlic, olive oil, yogurt, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne until smooth.
3. Drizzle with the olive oil and a generous dusting of za'atar and serve with chopped vegetables as a vibrant appetizer.

Kanchan Koya is on a mission to demystify healing spices through her nutritious and delicious recipes. Upon becoming a mother, she created Spice Spice Baby, a platform and cookbook dedicated to shedding light on the health-boosting powers of spices and inspiring their use by home cooks looking to boost their health in simple and delicious ways. She has a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School, training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and believes that food can be our most powerful delicious medicine. She shares her spice knowledge and tons of amazing recipes and health tips on Instagram at @chiefspicemama. Follow Kanchan Koya, PhD. Kanchan Koya is a paid sponsor at MegaFood.