Hummus is kind of our go-to snack when we’re in a hurry and want a powerful, protein packed lunch. Serve with fresh veggies or, my personal favorite, homemade pita. It’s versatile and tasty.
The only problem I have with my hummus is consistency. Sometimes it’s delicious but sometimes it’s only pretty good. I admit that I made some pretty awful combinations in the beginning. I finally decided to sit down and write out the ingredients I use to ensure that batch after batch will yield great results and take out the guess work. Once you’ve mastered the basic I encourage you to experiment with different additions to come up with an amazing combination of flavors that you can call your own.
A few words about this recipe:
I’m going to go ahead and call myself out on this one though: I use canned beans. A look in my pantry would reveal that the only thing that I buy from a tin can are chick peas, or garbanzo beans. I can’t find them fresh and my last attempt at buying them in their dehydrated form from the bulk bin was a dud. If you can only find high-sodium versions of these canned goods then replace the “bean juice” (sounds tasty, eh?) with water and be sure to give your guys a good rinsing. Of course you can also make hummus with raw, sprouted peas or with dehydrated, but the recipe will vary.
Also, my version is less than authentic. I don’t use tahini because I find the extra ingredients to be a) expensive b) difficult to find in the regular grocery store when I shop and c) unnecessary. This version will still take your taste buds on a magic carpet ride to the Middle East, I promise.
- 1 can chick peas (15.5 ounces)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- First, strain your can of chick peas into another container. Do NOT discard the juice! You’ll be needing it.
- Add chick peas, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic to food process.
- Pulse to incorporate everything together.
- Now measure out ¼ cup of the reserved juice from the chick peas and add it to your mixture.
- Blend until smooth. If necessary, add more juice until the texture that you prefer is achieved.
Make it your own…
Want some fun ways to spice up your hummus? Try mixing some of these items in.
- Try tahini + cumin for a more authentic taste
- Roasted garlic
- Roasted red peppers
- Sundried tomatoes
- Hot sauce + bleu cheese crumbles
- Olives
- Pesto
- Unflavored yogurt
- Avocado
- Chipotles
- Black beans
Now it’s your turn. How do you like your hummus?
About Aubrey
I love your honesty! Thanks for sharing
Yum! I think there is nothing wrong with canned beans…sometimes, it’s just too hard to have everything fresh!