Basic Hummus - Weekend Recipe

I am out and about this weekend at the Darien Garden Club Garden Inspiration Event on Saturday and Vegan Vortex in Chicago on Sunday.

I will be serving hummus blended with Butter and Cheese Herb Mix and Fiesta Dip Herb Mix, so I thought I would share a recipe for making your own hummus.

Sure you can buy it, but once you realize how easy it is to make your own, you may never go back to store bought again.

Basic Creamy Hummus

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon

1/4 cup well-stirred tahini, use store-bought

Half of a large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 to 3 tablespoons water

Dash of ground paprika for serving

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice mixture. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds.

Open can of chickpeas, drain liquid then rinse well with water. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl.  Add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and quite smooth.  Add fresh or dried herbs at this point if desired. 

Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect.

Scrape the hummus into a bowl then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with pita chips, crackers, veggies... or anything else you can think of. Serves 8-12 as an appetizer.