Hummus Recipe

Jen at Priorfatgirl posted today about her love of hummus. Alot of people mentioned the ease of making it on your own. So I said I'd post a recipe. I just bought a tub of hummus but I really should just make it again.

It really is a super simple recipe to make, with SO many variations. Plus ... it's super cheap to make. Probably the biggest expense is the tahini, but you use so little so a jar will last a long time.

Store this in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. And have fun with the varieties you can make. Look to the prducts available at the grocery store for further suggestions of combinations - or just get creative. You could also take a batch and split it to make a few different combos.

HUMMUS (singing) "any way you want it ..... that's the way you need it"

1 - 19 oz. can Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1- 2 lemons (approx. 2-4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper (and/or other spices) to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Drain Garbanzo beans and reserve liquid **see notes. Add beans to food processor along remainder of ingredients. Pulse until smooth. Add water (or reserved liquid) and continue to pulse until desired consistancy.

It is best once the flavours have blended for a while in the fridge (a few hours or overnight). But you can eat it right away.


NOTES:

Liquid - a lot of recipes recommend using the reserved liquid from the drained beans. However there is a lot of salt in that liquid and you may want to just use water and then adjust salt to taste.

Garlic - use as much or as little as you like. Apparently roasted garlic is a more mellow taste, but I like it zippy.

Lemon juice - You can use bottled, but fresh just seems to taste best. Again, you might want to experiment with the amount you use. Start with less and add more.

Tahini - (paste of ground sesame seeds) Usually found in the specialty (Middle Eastern) area of your grocery store. I've heard you can substitute peanut butter, but I wouldn't. I have made hummus without any tahini, but it's much better with it.

Olive Oil - do NOT leave out in an attempt to lower fat/calories. It's a healthy oil and it definitely makes hummus … hummus!

Seasonings - Add to taste. There is a ton of variety here. You can add any of the following on their own or in combination (be creative): black pepper, cumin, cayenne, crushed red pepper, hot sauce, chipotle or jalapeno pepper (SPICY!), roasted red pepper, sundried tomato, chives, cilantro, chili pepper, parsley