My favorite hummus recipe

I’m not a big fan of beans & peas.  I’ll eat them when I HAVE to, but the textures typically make me gaggy.  Chickpeas in homemade hummus form are now the exception (I still can’t eat chickpeas whole, creepy texture).  Hummus was one of those things I really didn’t like until a couple of years ago…basically until I started making it on my own & could control the thickness/consistency of the final product.

This is one of my favorite go-to appetizers when hosting a party or dinner.  It’s easy to make, cheap, & you can make it in advance & just garnish it before serving.  Dress it up with some cut up vegetables & homemade pita chips…and you’re done. Making your own hummus is typically cheaper than buying it premade, plus you can control the quality of your ingredients. Many store-bought hummuses (hummi?) are made with oil blends, which makes them especially icky for me since I have a canola oil intolerance. Plus, I mentioned it’s cheaper right? I buy cans of chickpeas for less than $1 at the international grocery and this uses like maybe $0.10 worth of tahini since I buy it in a big jar.  I always have lemon juice, garlic, olive oil & salt on hand…so you figure it takes $1.10 of “specialty” ingredients, and it yields over 2 cups of hummus.  Unless you are buying your containers of hummus for less than $0.55…you are being robbed.

My favorite recipe for hummus comes off of the back of a Ziyad brand can of chickpeas.  In fact, I’m glad I’m posting this recipe, because if Ziyad ever changed its label I’d be hosed.  I made a slight variation regarding garlic/lemon…but it’s fine “as is” if you want too.  Enjoy!

Basic Hummus
Prep time- 5 min, “Cook” time= 5 min, Serves- many


Ingredients

Ingredient Lineup...I always have these ingredients in my
fridge/pantry so that I can make this in a snap whenever it sounds good.

• 1 can chickpeas (15-16oz) drained
• 1/3 cup Tahini*
• 2 T lemon juice + 1 t. lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic (or 1 if you like less-garlic)
• dash of salt
• 3 T. extra virgin olive oil + extra for garnish
• Sumac or Smoked Paprika for garnish** [optional]

Directions
1.  In a blender or food processor, add the cloves of garlic & the salt.  Pulse until finely minced.

The salt helps to mince the garlic.

2.  Add the chickpeas, tahini, 2 T lemon juice & 3 T. of olive oil & pulse to desired consistency. Add more olive oil for smoother hummus. Add more salt if needed.

Blend/puree this until it reaches your chosen consistency

3.  Move hummus to a small bowl.  If serving immediately, drizzle top of hummus with olive oil & sprinkle with sumac & smoked paprika.  If storing, cover tightly & store in the refrigerator.

Top with a drizzle of olive oil & spices if desired, & enjoy!

*Tahini is made of ground sesame seeds and it is peanut-butter’ish in consistency.  It can be found at international grocery stores, Whole Foods, or in the organic condiments or condiment aisle of your grocery store.  Tahini is also a great addition to salad dressings or marinades, & has a pretty good shelf-life.  However it is not a good substitute for peanut butter for removing dog hair from your throat (long story, ask my husband, he has a experience in this).

**Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice that has sort of an acidic & flowery flavor.  It is purplish in color & is a beautiful spice for garnishing dishes.  I buy mine from The Spice House.  I recommend a gentle sprinkling of smoked paprika for garnishing as well, due to its rich, beautiful color & subtle smoky flavor when used in small amounts.