Okay, okay…yes, you can buy a super yummy, healthy, and already made hummus from the store.
But you know me. I like to make things. And hummus is no exception. It’s something that I can customize for both mine and Mountain Mans taste preference. I like mine to be “Greek” (which means lots and lots of kalamata olives and feta cheese), while Mountain Man prefers zero olives…so he usually gets a plain, or roasted red pepper version.
That’s what I love about making my own hummus. Yes, it can be a bit time consuming (yet, oddly satisfying) to pop the chickpeas out of their thin little “skins”, or whatever they’re called. But that extra 10 minutes is so worth it, when your end result is super smooth and creamy hummus. (please note: this part is completely optional…but through some trial and error, I found that if I peel my chickpeas, the hummus is more smooth and creamy)
God bless the Chickpea.
Seriously, though. The chickpea is pretty incredible.
They are packed with fiber, protein, and a ton of vitamins and minerals (including Manganese and Folate)! God bless the chickpea, indeed.
Although the hubs and I do enjoy the hummus, I can’t say the same for all the kids. Little Miss T enjoys it on occasion, but the boys? “It looks weird, mama…” Have mercy. If I eye rolled any harder, I’d be stuck looking at the back of my head for the rest of my life. It looks weird. SMH. Oh well…their loss, and more for me! Although I’m holding out hope that they will at least try it as they get older.
Now before we begin, I do recommend that you use a food processor. You can probably get by with a blender, as long as you have a really good one, but I love my food processor, because it gets everything nice and combined and super smooth.
- 2 cans Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - rinsed, drained and peeled
- 3 Tbls Organic Tahini
- 1/3-1/2 cup water, depending on the consistency you want
- 3-4 Tbls fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, microplaned or minced
- 1 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/8 tsp salt (or to taste)
- Add 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- Add 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
- Add extra garlic clove, microplaned or minced
- Add 1 Roasted Red Pepper, chopped
- (You can easily roast a red pepper by slicing it in half, being sure to remove the stem and seeds, placing on a baking sheet (cut side down) slightly coated in olive oil. Brush olive oil over tops of peppers and place under broiler in the oven until the tops become black and charred. Remove peppers with tongs and place in plastic bag for about 15 minutes, or until cooled enough to handle. The skins should easily peel off. Chop up and add as much as you like to your hummus!)
- Peel your chickpeas easily by gently squeezing them between your thumb and fingers, to pop the "skin" off. Discard the skins.
- All all ingredients to your food processor (or blender), and pulse until smooth.
- Add desired "extra ingredients" at this time and pulse until just blended.
- This is a very forgiving recipe, and you can be as creative with the additional flavors, as you like! Experiment with flavors you enjoy and see what you prefer...or leave the base recipe as is and enjoy a delicious simple hummus!
