Hawaiian Hummus Toast — sweet, fluffy Hawaiian bread topped with creamy hummus, kimchi cucumbers, caramelized SPAM and pickled scallions. You’ll never look at hummus the same way again.
This post is sponsored by Sabra. As usual, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A few weeks ago, I popped out to Colorado again to join Kelly and the rest of the ladies of #TeamNosh for our first-ever retreat. I’ve talked about it a little here and there, but it was such a joy (and if we’re being honest, a little bit of a rush) being around women who you’ve befriended only virtually — and then actually liking them a whole stinking lot in real life. I came away from the weekend intensely inspired, both personally and professionally, and feeling like I’d known my five weekend housemates for far longer than the two days we spent together. We chatted about business, the changing landscape of food blogging, our families, accommodating picky eaters, and — as one does — the questionable origin of carrots. We drank wine, hand modeled, and speculated on the curious police activity that closed down several blocks surrounding our airbnb. And we ate.
Boy oh boy, did we eat.
#TeamNosh from L-R: Leigh Ann, Kelly, Ale, me!, Lexi + Beth. (Our 7th lovely lady, Joy, couldn’t make it.) Photo by Jenna Sparks Photography.
Kelly stocked the condo’s enormous refrigerator (just look at that thing!) with loads of fresh, seasonal produce and plenty of snacks to keep our bellies full while we worked our way through the weekend, and chief amongst the available noshings were stacks of Sabra hummus, just waiting to become the hummus toast of our dreams.
And the hummus toast of my dreams just happens to involve…SPAM.
The Joy of Hawaiian Hummus Toast
Once upon a time, I consumed SPAM somewhat regularly. Few things can compare to its silky, institutional texture — salty and buoyant and just asking for a hot cast iron skillet and a crispy edge. Nowadays, it’s a rare treat to have SPAM in this household, and this hummus toast (dare I say #hummustoast) provides the perfect excuse. Fluffy Hawaiian bread topped with a thick layer of creamy hummus, quick “kimchi” cucumbers, tender cubes of caramelized SPAM, pickled scallions and furikake. There’s a fair amount of salt involved, tempered both by the cushiony toast and the mild, whippy hummus, which is the perfect backdrop for a cacophony of not-so-subtle flavors. I theorized this toast in a conversation with Kelly a couple of weeks before the retreat — “oooh, maybe something Hawaiian…with pickled cukes and caramelized SPAM…??” — and was only too pleasantly surprised when it was even better than anticipated upon execution.
If you’re not a meat eater, I will note that this toast stands just fine on its own without the caramelized SPAM — or heck, put a fried egg on it! There’s that ethereal layer of hummus we discussed, plus loads of subtly sweet spice from cucumbers briefly bathed in gochujang. The (storebought!) fuschia scallions pickled with ume and shiso that I used here are crazy flavorful, too, but a good ol’ cocktail onion, thinly sliced, if you please, will do in a pinch. With a dash of savory furikake over the top, full of aromatic toasted nori and sesame seeds, this might just become the hummus toast of your dreams, too.
Many thanks to Kelly for inviting me to play along with this team of wickedly intelligent, talented ladies. I can’t wait to do it all again soon!
xo,
Em
Like the sound of this Hawaiian Hummus Toast?
Be sure to check out:
- Fresh Lobster Spring Rolls with Easy Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Spicy Caramelized Spam and Scallion Pasta
- Hawaiian Street Corn with Spam + Pineapple
- Fried Hot Dog + Egg Sammies with Sriracha + Shoyu Mayo
- Summer Whipped Ricotta Toast, Two Ways
Lana’s hummus toast, which (like many kiddo foods) is a deconstructed version of the original.
- 4 slices Hawaiian bread
- 1 10 oz container Sabra hummus
- 1 can SPAM, diced
- 1½ tsp light soy sauce
- 1½ tsp sugar
- ½ English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 T gochujang paste (or more or less, to taste)
- pickled plum scallions or cocktail onions, thinly sliced
- sliced fresh scallions + furikake, for serving
- In a small bowl, combine cucumbers with gochujang paste to taste. Set aside. (This can be done up to 1 day in advance.)
- Preheat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over a medium flame. Add SPAM and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on most sides. Add soy sauce and sugar and toss again, cooking until sugar is deeply caramelized in places (and reducing the heat, if necessary, to prevent burning).
- Toast bread to desired doneness.
- Layer toast generously with hummus, cucumbers, SPAM, sliced pickled scallions and garnishes. Enjoy!
OH! before you go…
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