Today I made a big batch of hummus and I realized that I’ve never posted a recipe here for hummus. I can’t believe I haven’t written about our family’s favorite snack before!
Hummus is so yummy, full of great nutrition and healthy fiber. Who doesn’t love hummus and pita? And, by the way, the combination of hummus and pita is a complete protein, so go ahead and make a meal of it.
It’s super easy to make. Just five minutes preparing and measuring ingredients and 2-3 minutes blending and voilá! You have hummus! And it’s so, SO inexpensive to make your own. If you make it with dry beans, a 2 cup batch of hummus costs about $1. Combine that with your homemade pita bread, and you have the most economical snack possible.
Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp water
Directions:
Mince the garlic with a knife or garlic press and allow it to sit for a minute or two. While you’re waiting for the garlic, measure out the remaining ingredients except for the water and oil and put them into a food processor.
Pulse the food processor a few times and scrape the sides. Then turn the food processor onto high and blend on high speed. As it blends, drizzle in the olive oil. Add a bit of water as needed if the mixture is too thick. Blend until smooth. Adjust salt and flavorings to suit your taste.
Notes:
*The easiest way to make this is with canned garbanzo beans. But the most economical is with dry beans that you cook. Cook up a pound or more of garbanzo in a pressure cooker or InstaPot. After the beans are cooked, measure out 1 1/2 cup portions into baggies and freeze. That way you have cooked garbanzo beans whenever you want to make hummus.
*Hummus will store for a week or so in the fridge (if it will last that long!) or 6 months in the freezer. So I always make a double batch.
*Yes, you can make it in a blender, if your blender is high-powered enough to handle the thick paste. You can also make it with an immersion (stick) blender, but it may take a little longer to get it completely smooth.
*If your hummus is a little on the thin or runny side, don’t worry. Just wait a few hours and it will thicken up a bit. The insoluble fiber in garbanzo beans will absorb moisture over the first 2-6 hours, which makes it a bit thicker.
*Tahinni is a paste made from sesame seeds. Think peanut butter, but sesame-flavored. You can make your own. Or omit it from the recipe. It adds a deeper flavor to the hummus, but I’ve made hummus without and found it perfectly satisfactory.
*For added flavor you might like to add 1/2 tsp cumin or 1/4 tsp cayenne
