Mmm... hummus!

My child loves hummus and eats it by the handful. She could literally eat an entire container of hummus from the grocery store in one sitting. I decided it was time to embark on the journey of learning how to create my own. I started with two bags of dry chickpeas (garbanzo beans) from the grocery store and ended up with six batches of homemade, delicious hummus. Easy and yummy!

I got this recipe from Whole Foods. It's a great starter recipe. If you'd like you can get creative and add your own seasonings or veggies. We like it plain and dolled up:)

What You'll Need:

1 15 oz can of chickpeas (or some that you've cooked!)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini

Half of a large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I only used a 1/2)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 to 3 tablespoons of water

Before we get started let's discuss tahini. It's not as intimidating as it sounds.  It's essentially sesame seed butter. I got a jar of Organic Once Again tahini from Whole Foods for $6.99. It's very yummy and can be used as a spread just like peanut or almond butter. 

In a food processor combine tahini and lemon juice, process for one minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process for 30 more seconds. (This helps make the hummus smooth and creamy.)

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and salt. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom, and then process for 30 more seconds.

If you're using canned chickpeas, open the can, drain the liquid, and rinse them well with water. Add half the chickpeas to the processor and process for one minute. Scrape the sides and bottom, add the rest of your chickpeas, and then process for two minutes or until smooth. 

Most likely the hummus will be think and possibly slightly chunky at this point. Gradually add the three tablespoons of water as the processor is running until you get your desired consistency. I used all three tablespoons. 

The outcome was a hit and my daughter had a hummus and pita chip snack that required a bath immediately following. Happy Hummusing!!!

-Ashley