Instant Hummus-Back To School Post #4

Don’t be misled by the title of this post!  When I say ‘instant’ hummus, I don’t mean it is a mix or prepackaged, but rather that it is so easy and quick, it comes together in almost an instant!

Of course you could purchase the hummus from the store.  And most of the popular brands are quite good!  But I like to cook.  I like to bake.  And making something this simple from scratch seems the logical thing to do.  I can use my own great ingredients and know for sure that my family, and in turn, myself, are eating quality food.  My kids watch the dip wiz up in the food processor and they know that there are garbanzo beans in hummus, not just read it on a label.  They dip in a finger and tell me they want more lemon juice added this time.  They laugh and joke around, dipping grapes in the bowl, only to wrinkle their noses and deem them NOT good in hummus.  They fight for a foothold on the step stool so they can watch the mixture turn colors when I add a roasted red pepper or pulse in chopped olives.   These are all very good things.

Using dried beans is the next step here and we will cover that another time, but for now, I just wanted to share my straight up hummus.  All hummus recipes are usually quite similar and my version pretty much sticks to the classic formula.  I always kind a thought it was missing a little something though, and so, never felt comfortable posting it. But after eating a spicy hummus at a cafe a few months ago, I realized what I needed.  Cumin.  Not enough to be a prominent flavor, but just enough to boost it a bit.  Bingo!  I hit the mark!

The beauty of hummus is that you can make it totally your own.  Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the recipe and read the variations and of course, feel free to add your own ideas to the comments below.  I just don’t recommend grapes…

And don’t forget to head over to the previous post and enter the HONEY GIVEAWAY!!  Who wouldn’t love to get sweet treats in the mail!-CLOSED
One Year Ago: Lunchbox Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two Years Ago: Pesto, Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Three Years Ago: Tortellini W/Shrimp

Instant Hummus

2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed and drained
3 T tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T lemon juice
3/4 tsp cumin
1/3 c water
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
salt and pepper to taste

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor, adding more olive oil to achieve desired consistency.  Continue to process until the hummus is as smooth or as chunky as you like!  Taste for seasoning. Store tightly sealed in the fridge for up to 4 days.  Serve the hummus smeared on a sandwich with cheese, spinach and tomato, rolled up in a tortilla, or with crudite, pretzels, crackers, pita chips, or naan.

Variations:

-add 1 whole roasted red pepper, seeds removed, and process
-add 1/4 c grated parmesan
-coarsely chop one can of drained artichoke hearts and pulse in
-stir in 1/2 c chopped black olives to the final dip
-pulse in 1 tsp of black pepper and a few splashes of hot sauce
-use 1 recipe roasted garlic instead of freshly minced