Humma-humma-hummus

Day 39: Hummus! A staple, I know, but it had to happen. I wonder- a generation ago, did folks west of Greece go ‘humma what?’

I just desired some, had a tin of chickpeas in the cupboard so, wham! Hummus. Next time, I will try raw hummus. There are tons of hummus recipes out there, some with tahini, some without, others with cumin (not a fan) or sun-dried tomatoes. Or just have it plain. I am having some on my flaxseed crackers as I type, which means this post is taking way longer than it should!

We have a Lebanese store near us and I get our tahini from them.

This is from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero. I’ll put the full amounts here, but I halved them and it was plenty. My kid is gobbling it down!

Ingredients:
2(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I use Santa Cruz organic)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup water – mas o menos, to desired thickness level
2 Tbs tahini
Pinch of ground cumin or coriander (optional – not for me)
Salt and pepper
Paprika (preferably Hungarian smoked paprika, if you can find it) – okay, where can I find it?

Place half the chickpeas and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to stir with a rubber spatula. When the mixture is almost pureed and creamy, add the remaining chickpeas and oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, and a little salt. Pulse, stopping to stir several times, until the mixture is very creamy. Season with salt and pepper; add more lemon juice to taste if necessary (I did).

Transfer to an airtight container and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Okay, I read this after I made the hummus this time, but you might find it interesting from Veganomicon ” The secret to really creamy humus is to make it in a blender….it helps to add more liquid (by the tablespoon) so take frequent breaks when bending to add a little more liquid and push the hummus around with a rubber spatula each time you do.” Well, there you go.