Hummus
There are times when I’m in a rush and I need to purchase food that’s ready to go but whenever possible I prepare meals from scratch. I’ve long been a fan of hummus. Originally cultivated in the Mediterranean, chickpeas or garbanzo beans have spread their culinary influence throughout the world. Chickpeas contain a balance of magnesium, calcium, and phosphate which contribute to maintaining bone strength and are an excellent gluten-free source of protein and fiber. The flavor and texture of hummus varies greatly so as always, I encourage you to play with this recipe (and others!) to find the perfect mix of ingredients. To save time I used canned chickpeas however I’ve heard that dried beans soaked overnight makes a difference in the flavor so try that if you can. The most time consuming part of this recipe is to pop the skin off the chickpeas (ask for some help;) . Taking the time to do this will result in extra smooth hummus. If you find the mixture is too dry when blending, add broth or water. Olive oil is good too but increases the calories so think about using just a couple genericsing.com tablespoons in the blender and then drizzle on top when you are finished. Taste as you are processing the mixture and add salt or garlic as needed.
xoleslie
{inspired by Angela Liddon’s recipe}
Hummus
- 1 – 15 ounce can garbanzo beans (rinsed)
- 1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic
- a few Tablespoons of tahini (available at Whole Foods or your local natural foods market)
- 1/3 cup liquid (water or broth as needed to thin out the mixture)
- the juice of one small lemon or 1/2 of a large
- 1 teaspoon of fine grain sea salt (or to taste)
- cilantro or parsley
- paprika
- 2 tablespoons for processing and extra olive oil (extra-virgin olive oil) for garnish
Directions
- Rinse and drain garbanzo beans and then remove the then pinch off the skins
- Place all of your ingredients plus 2 tablespoons of EVOO in your Vitamix or food processor and blend until smooth
- Add water or broth to smooth out the mixture and taste to see if additional salt or garlic is needed
- Use a spatula to scoop out the mixture and then top with cilantro or parsley, paprika, and a drizzle of EVOO.
Serve with your favorite crackers, toasted pita triangles, or raw vegetables.
We love hummus, but I’ve yet to try making homemade. I love that you can vary the recipe this way.
Lauren, with your chef abilities;) you could do all kinds of variations!!
I don’t know why I’m always surprised by how simple it is to make hummus. I really need to try this. Thanks for the recipe Leslie!
Good to hear from you Rowena! ..yes it’s very simply AND satisfying;)
yum. have always enjoyed it, but I think I enjoy your styling and photography of it just as much. trying to be mindful of my eating over here and still struggling to fit exercise (beyond cleaning up fixer messes) so I appreciate all you do to keep us on track. peace.
YUM!!! This looks sooooo good:) Would go great with my evening cocktail lol. I am going to try this, your pictures are so crystal clear almost feel like I could go into the computer screen and take a dip in that bowl:)
Yes, do try it Tina! Grab some of those little pita you make the cucumber “pockets” with and dip in:) It’s very easy and you can adjust your garlic, salt, etc.. to personal preference.
Leslie,
I love hummus. I’ve tried to make it once and was too dry, I’m happy you addressed this issue. I’ve always thought it would be fun to make my own.
I’ll try your recipe.
xo,
karen
Definitely give this a whirl Karen and let me know if you have any problems. I’d be happy to help:) It’s really delicious and so healthy!
I love the idea of making this fresh but always pick it up at the market. I need to try making this Leslie. Thanks for the recipe…….
You’re welcome Emily! In a pinch a will get my favorite store bought variety but recently I’ve been making this and changing up the ingredients;)
Hi Leslie, I love hummus because it’s such a healthy thing to grab for a snack but so good! 80% of the time I make my own but in a pinch I’ll grab one at Trader Joe’s. One of the last hummus recipes I used had you remove the skins which I had never thought of doing but it did make it smoother! I have a Guacamole Hummus recipe that is super good too.
Linda
Guacamole Hummus sounds delicious Linda! I’ll have to try to modify my recipe and try that:)
Leslie, just omit the tahini and add an extra Tbsp. of olive oil, and reduce the amount of water to 2-3 Tbsp. Add one avocado and that’s it! :)
That sounds great! I’ll try it:) Thanks Linda!
I positively LOVE hummus but I’m embarrassed to tell you that I’ve only had store-bought. I will definitely try this recipe. Enjoy your week, Leslie!
Katie, I JUST started making my own .. so join the club;)