Hummus, (or humus, hummos, hoummos, so many spellings, so many recipe variations...) is a chickpea dip popular in the Middle East. In fact the word 'hummus' apparently means chickpeas in Arabic.
Hummus is so easy to make & you can tweak the recipe to your preferred taste; some like it more lemony, others heavier on the tahini. Traditional recipes call for olive oil. Yes, personally, I don’t add any. Sometimes tahini (sesame seed paste) can be a little overpowering, but experiment & taste. If needs be, you can always add extra.
You can prepare hummus in a food processor or high powered blender. I like the texture of hummus to be lovely and smooth, so I prepare it in the small cup of my NutriBullet. You need to shake it a bit and scrape down the sides of the cup a few times. If you have difficulty blending it, you can add an extra tablespoon of water/lemon juice, but don't overdo it or you'll end up with runny hummus.
I’ve been making hummus for as long as I can remember and have decided that this version is my favourite. When you make hummus with home-cooked chickpeas it has a brighter colour and in my opinion, tastes so much better! But sometimes convenience is needed and that's when a jar of chickpeas comes in very handy!
In a blender or food processor blend together until completely smooth:
1 & 1/4 cup (225g) cooked chickpeas (rinsed & drained) cook your own or use canned (preferably in glass jars)
1 clove garlic (2 if you like it garlicky & aren’t meeting anyone :) )
Between 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
1 heaping tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
5-7 tablespoons water (enough to reach desired consistency)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Paprika, sumac and/or freshly ground black pepper to garnish (optional)
Spoon the hummus into a nice bowl, sprinkle a little paprika, some sumac & freshly ground black pepper on top, give it a squeeze of lemon juice & serve with crunchy raw veggies or crackers. Or put a dollop on your salad! It’s also perfect for wraps and I even use it in my vegan sushi! Experiment! That's what plant-based eating is all about!