I am guilty of being a complete and total hummus fiend. I love hummus — I could eat it every day. The problem? It was kind of an expensive habit to maintain. Now, I know hummus every day doesn’t seem all that healthy, but in moderation, it’s actually a very healthy snack option and can add a bit of extra zing to other snacks like vegetables. One day I was watching a YouTube video on hummus and realized it’s not only really easy to make…it’s actually really cheap. In fact, for the cost of a few items, I made a big batch of hummus for less than $10 with all of the fresh ingredients I love.
What You’ll Need
- Canned chickpeas
- Olive oil (the more, the better)
- Tahini (I could not find this absolutely anywhere, so grab some sesame seeds and we’ll come back to this one)
- Garlic
- Your preference in toppings — smoked paprika, minced garlic, roasted red peppers, etc.
Getting Started
The biggest tip I found while doing my research was to work with chilled chickpeas for a smoother finish, so I tossed one big can of whole chickpeas in the refrigerator overnight. It’s also worth noting I don’t currently have a food processor, though that was recommended, my high-powered blender worked just fine.
In the blender add garlic — to taste, but I used 4 cloves — olive oil, tahini, and chickpeas. Mix on medium, and keep an eye on the consistency. If the mixture looks too dense add additional olive oil. Once the mixture is blended together well continue on high for two minutes or until smooth.
If you are like me and couldn’t find tahini, or you just don’t have any, I substituted ground sesame seeds with a recipe I found here from Inspired Taste. It was recommended to brown the sesame seeds if you like a deeper flavor but you can always just grind up whole sesame seeds and toss them in. I added about 1 tablespoon of ground sesame seeds.
Remove from blender into your serving dish or Tupperware, top with more olive oil and your preference in the toppings, and take a moment to be annoyed with how simple this recipe is compared to the high cost of fresh hummus at the store. Enjoy!
Serve with…
Before you reach for that carb-loaded pita bread, here are some great hummus-dipping alternatives…
- carrots
- celery
- broccoli
- pretzels
- cherry tomatoes
- sliced bell peppers
- veggie straws
Read more: EASY OVERNIGHT OATS FOR SKEPTICS
