If you’re not very adventurous in your culinary life, you may have looked at the title and wondered, “What is hummus?” Hummus comes to us from the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions and is made from chickpeas. In fact, that’s where it gets its name. The chickpeas are mashed and pureed and are combined with tahini (or sesame paste) and a few other ingredients. Hummus can be eaten as a spread on wraps and sandwiches or as a dip with pita bread, veggies, or other foods.
One of the greatest things about hummus spreads is that they are so versatile. They can be purchased at the supermarket in flavors ranging from roasted garlic hummus dip to hummus with lemon or pine nuts. However, it’s also easy to make these different types of hummus at home with just a few simple ingredients. Here’s an easy hummus recipe, along with a few modifications, that anyone can try:
For this recipe you’ll need:
- One or two cans of chickpeas (depending on how much you’d like to make)
- Tahini
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon
- One clove of garlic
- Any other spices desired
Drain the chickpeas first and pour them into a blender with just a bit of water. These chickpeas should be the cooked kind, not the dried ones. Then puree the chickpeas in the blender or food processor. After the puree is fairly smooth, add two tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of tahini. Make sure that the garlic is minced and add that into the mix. You can add as much or as little salt and pepper as you like and any other spices. Squeeze about half a lemon into the hummus, as well. Blend again; add lemon and spice to taste.
Once you’ve made the hummus dip, you can set it in a container to chill in the fridge for an hour or two.
If you’d like to add more ingredients to this easy hummus recipe, you can. Chopping up and blending in some roasted red peppers is a great way to make a roasted red pepper hummus; you can also chop the pieces up find and top the hummus with peppers. Adding chipotle peppers instead gives you an easy spicy hummus dip.
If you find you don’t have tahini or can’t find it in the grocery store, try adding peanut butter instead. Tahini, which comes from sesame seeds, is necessary to thicken up the dip, so peanut butter should accomplish the same thing and give the dish a unique flavor.
Want more easy hummus recipes? Offer some suggestions in the comments.