Avocado, artichoke and olive hummus

1 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas, liquid reserved (or 1/4 cup dry, soaked overnight and cooked, liquid reserved)
1/2 of an avocado
2 artichoke hearts
6 - 8 black olives
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Feel free to play around with ingredients. I don't create any hard and fast recipes that must be followed to the T. Usually they result from what I have on hand. If you want more avocado, feel free to add more. This recipe doesn't have a strong avocado taste but it does give it a creaminess.

Also, keep in mind, if you are using freshly cooked chickpeas that are still hot from the pot, the finished and refrigerated texture will differ from the texture in your processor. I recommend letting them cool off after cooking before pureeing. I know I have a tendency to not add enough liquid when I make it hot and after its been in the fridge for a few hours, its really thick, almost impossible to dip with a tortilla.

Also, after you put it in the fridge for a few hours, the flavors will get a little stronger so keep that in mind when you're experimenting with ingredients.

Enjoy!

If you don't have cooked chickpeas, or time for the soaking/cooking process, you could probably use a can of chickpeas. To be honest, I'm not sure how many cups are in 1 can of them because I've never used canned chickpeas. Either way, make sure you reserve some of the liquid from either cooking or the can.

Place chickpeas, about 1/4 cup chickpea liquid, avocado, artichokes, olives, garlic, tahini, and 1 Tbs of the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Start pureeing and add in the remainder of the chickpea liquid as need to achieve the desired consistency.

This is where I usually stop and taste it to see what seasoning I need. Add salt and pepper as desired. I also add basil to mine. But whatever seasonings you like, feel free to add. Turn your processor/blender back on to mix it up.

If it is still too thick, add some more chickpea liquid and add more olive oil. If you run out of liquid and its still thick, slowly drizzle in olive oil with the appliance running until you get the thickness you desire. (Although if you add more than 2 Tbs, it will change the nutrition facts for this particular recipe).

Once you have it like you want, taste and see if you need any more seasoning.

Spread on flat bread, crackers, veggies, or your fingers and enjoy!

Serving Size: aproximately 8 - 1/4 cup servings

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CSWEAT95.