Hummus is a great source of protein and fiber so it makes a healthy and satisfying snack. It originated in the Middle East but can now be found around the world. It is traditionally made with ground chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), tahini (a sesame seed paste, similar in texture to peanut butter) and other seasonings such as garlic and lemon juice, but each version is slightly different. If you don’t like tahini, you can reduce the amount that you use (as I have) or omit it altogether.
Hummus is one of my favorite snacks. I like to serve it with pita bread wedges and veggie sticks, or spread it on sandwiches and wraps. I introduced it to my son early on and it is now one of his favorites, also.
After many trials and errors, I have come up with an easy baseline recipe. You can adjust the seasonings to taste. You can either use dried garbanzos, soaking them overnight and cooking them for several hours, or go the quick route and start with canned garbanzo beans. Try some of our favorite hummus flavors, too: roasted red pepper-feta hummus and spinach-garlic-feta hummus.
- 3¾-4 cups cooked garbanzo beans (or 3 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, to taste
- 1½ tsp salt, to taste
- 1 - 1½ cups water
- 1½ -2 tsp tahini
- 4-6 roasted garlic cloves, minced
- Olive oil, optional
- Place 4 cups of dried garbanzo beans in a large pot and cover them with water.
- Put the lid on the pot and let the beans soak for 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Drain the beans once they are done soaking and discard the water.
- Cover the re-hydrated beans with water and let them simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes to an hour, until they are soft and tender but still hold their shape.
- Drain the beans and reserve the water to use when blending the hummus.
- Blend the beans with the rest of the ingredients in a blender or a food processor, until a smooth hummus forms.
- Adjust the amount of water added to reach the consistency that you like and season it to taste.
- If desired, drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top when you serve it.
- Pour the drained and rinsed garbanzo beans into a sauce pan and cover them with water.
- Heat them over medium heat and let them simmer for 15-20 minutes until the beans are tender.
- Drain the beans and save the water used in simmering the beans for blending the hummus.
- Blend the beans with the rest of the ingredients in a blender or a food processor, until a smooth hummus forms.
- Adjust the amount of water added to reach the consistency that you like and season it to taste.
- If desired, drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of the hummus before serving it.
