Easy Hummus Dip
- Servings Per Recipe: 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 259.5
- Total Fat: 16.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
- Sodium: 503.5 mg
- Total Carbs: 21.6 g
- Dietary Fiber: 5.0 g
- Protein: 8.2 g
Introduction
This is an easy, simple to make smooth vegan dip to eat with carrots, celery sticks, cucumber spears, pita bread wedges or crackers if you have them in your diet. Delicious and ridiculously fast to make after you've done it once or twice, easy to take with you for a side with your lunch at work.The process below will help give you wonderfully smooth hummus. Add as much or as little garlic as you like; here we're starting with a medium garlic clove; I'm adding more next time as this was really quite mild. This is an easy, simple to make smooth vegan dip to eat with carrots, celery sticks, cucumber spears, pita bread wedges or crackers if you have them in your diet. Delicious and ridiculously fast to make after you've done it once or twice, easy to take with you for a side with your lunch at work.
The process below will help give you wonderfully smooth hummus. Add as much or as little garlic as you like; here we're starting with a medium garlic clove; I'm adding more next time as this was really quite mild.
Ingredients
-
You'll need:
¼ cup (4 tbsp) Tahini (a sesame seed paste found in international or eastern foods section)
¼ cup (1 med or large) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus a little more to drizzle when serving, if desired)
1 med. garlic clove, coarsely chopped - more or less to taste
½ tsp ground cumin
½ to 1 tsp kosher (or table) salt, to taste - see TIP!
then
2 cups (1 can) chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans.
And finally, a dash or two of paprika for serving.
Tips
*IMPORTANT:* Check the ingredients on the can of chickpeas you are about to use; some are simply chickpeas and water, while others have chickpeas, water AND SALT already included.
If the chickpeas you use do have salt already, make this recipe but WITHOUT adding the salt in the ingredients. Be sure to rinse the chickpeas well before using, too. Once your humus is all blended, taste it. It may turn out your particular brand of chickpeas with salt added needs NO extra salt at all or just a tiny pinch more. Adjust to taste, of course.
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After trying this "base" version, consider adding flavors of your choice to the mix: blend in roasted garlic, sautéed onion, kalamata or green olives, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.. Check out your grocer's humus offering for other possible ideas and inspirations.
Add some heat with cayenne or your favorite hot spice, herbs, roasted pine nuts... Get creative! And of course, add or reduce the garlic and/or lemon juice as needed.
Use this as a veggie dip or an alternative spread in wraps or sandwiches instead of mayo.
Directions
Add the olive oil, coarsely chopped garlic, cumin powder, ½ tsp of the salt (for now) and process again for about 1 minute, scraping down halfway through.
Next, drain the chickpeas but keep about 3 tablespoons of the juice/water for later. Rinse the beans and put half into the processor. Process this for 1 minute, then add the remainder of the beans, process for 1 or 2 more minutes, until it is smooth and rather thick.
Adding a tablespoon of the reserved juice at a time, process a little more until it is a nice, smooth creamy consistence. You may not need all the juice. Taste and blend in a bit more salt if needed.
Scrape out the hummus and pour into a container. For serving fancy, sprinkle a little paprika on top and drizzle a bit of olive oil, as desired.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week, if it manages to not all disappear right away.
Serving Size: Makes four ½ cup+ servings