hummus

Increasingly popular these days, hummus is a dip or spread common through the Middle East.  You can find it pre-made in almost any grocery store, often in various flavors such as “roasted red pepper.”  However, I feel that the original (i.e., non-flavored) hummus is the best, and once you experience the delight of homemade hummus, you will never buy it from the store again.  With a food processor, hummus is incredibly simple to make, and the ingredients are easy to keep on hand.  Use it on sandwiches or serve it with pita bread, crackers, veggies, or blue corn tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

  • 1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans (“chickpeas”)
  • 1/4 C water
  • 1/4 C tahini (sesame paste)
  • 1/4 C lemon juice
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (can use more if a stronger flavor is desired)
  • 2 T ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • optional garnish: paprika, parsely, pine nuts, or additional olive oil (drizzled)

To make, throw all ingredients together in a food processor and puree until the hummus is smooth.  You can adjust the consistency by adding more oil and/or tahini (to make it thicker and creamier) or more water and/or lemon juice (to thin it out).