Chicken Pita Pockets with Hummus

This recipe was really simple to make and was a very satisfying meal. It's great for when you don't have a lot of time to make dinner or have a hard day and want something quick and easy. I made homemade hummus, but if you need the meal to come together faster than that, then just use your favorite brand of hummus. If you've never had hummus, it's just a puree of garbanzo (aka chickpea) beans, tahini paste (sesame seed puree), lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. It turns out smooth and creamy and tastes somewhat nutty. Hummus also makes a great dip for veggies or pita chips or can be spread on sandwiches instead of mayo! Here's what I did...


For the hummus:

-1 can of garbanzo beans, drained
-2 to 3 TBS of tahini paste (This will be based on your preference. Start with 2 TBS, taste the hummus and add more tahini as desired. Tahini paste can be found in the Oriental food aisle.)
-the zest and juice from 1 lemon
-1 to 2 cloves of garlic, grated on a hand held grater (This will also be based on your preference. If you like garlic, add more. If you don't like garlic or can't eat it like me, you can use some roasted shallots instead. Peel the shallots, drizzle them salt, pepper and olive oil and roast them at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and softened OR dice and saute them in olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat until softened.)
-about 2/3 cup of olive oil (you want the consistency of the hummus to be smooth so add just enough olive oil to achieve that texture.)
-salt and pepper to taste (normally, there isn't pepper in hummus, but I like pepper. Feel free to leave it out.)


Add all of the above ingredients (except for the olive oil) into the food processor or blender. While the processor is running, stream in the olive oil and continue processing until the mixture is smooth and creamy, adding more oil as necessary. Remove the hummus from the processor into a bowl and set aside.


Now, you can use any veggies that you like for the pita pockets. Here's what I used:

-chopped romaine lettuce
-chopped tomatoes
-sliced English cucumber (it's the one that comes in a plastic wrapper)
-kalamata olives, halved

Other ingredients you will need are:

-crumbled feta cheese
-pitas (they have plain, whole wheat and multi-grain. Use whatever you like. Most of them are perforated already, but if they aren't just cut them in half to create the pockets.)
-thin chicken breasts (allow 1 per person)
-tzatziki sauce (it's a cucumber and dill sauce made with greek yogurt. It's easy enough to make, by combining a small container of plain greek yogurt, some finely chopped cucumber, fresh dill, lemon juice and salt and pepper...or you can just buy it.)


For the chicken, use whatever spices you like. You can use a hot paprika or a curry powder or smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Grill the chicken 4-5 minutes per side depending on thickness. Allow the chicken to rest 5-10 minutes, then thinly slice it.

To assemble the pita pockets, simply layer in the ingredients that you want. The hummus can be put inside the pita or served on the side with cucumber slices for dipping. 


This is a very healthy meal, but it was also filling without being heavy. Lots of veggies and protein, but with very little fat. I know I've been posting a lot of higher calorie meals and pasta dishes lately and I'm planning on putting more recipes like this one on my blog in the near future. I hope you give this a try and I'd love any feedback about this and any other recipes I've posted! :)