My husband absolutely LOVES hummus and now that he knows how big of a batch we can make at half the cost of the store-bought kind, it’s a weekly routine for us! It’s such a wholesome snack and so satisfying, especially when eaten with veggies. My favorite basic hummus recipe comes from www.inspiredtaste.net. Very tasty, so simple to make and very fluffy. My sister-in-law Tammy and I also experimented with other variations using black and white beans. The basics of hummus are so easy that you can definitely make it your own!

 -Mel

Health tips: Low carb, low fat, anti-inflammatory, heart healthy, diabetes friendly

Ingredients (About 3 cups; 8-12 servings)

• Two 15 oz. cans reduced-sodium garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup tahini paste (Tip: This is a middle eastern sesame paste you can find in the ethnic section of your local store.)
• 2-4 cloves fresh garlic depending on size, fresh minced OR 1 whole head of roasted garlic (Tip: To roast, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut top off garlic head, drizzle olive oil over top, wrap in foil, and bake for about 40 minutes. Garlic should be a golden brown color and soft. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-garlic-in-the-oven-5341)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Tip: If you buy regular sodium chickpeas, just reduce salt and taste as you go.)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup water, optional
• Dash of smoked paprika for serving

Steps

Tip: If you need to make your hummus in a rush, just combine steps 1-5 and blend all ingredients together at once from the chickpeas to the cumin, until at the consistency you like. The stages below produce a fluffier consistency but blending all at once works too! You may need to blend for around 30 seconds a few times. Continue to step 7.

1. In a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.
2. 
3. Add the olive oil, minced garlic (OR roasted garlic squeezed out of skins), cumin and the salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice mixture. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds.
4. 
5. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and quite smooth.
6. 
7. Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. If so, with the food processor turned on, slowly add water until the consistency is perfect.
8. 
9. 
10. Scrape the hummus into a bowl then drizzle some olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika. Cool in fridge for a couple hours. Store leftover hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.

Other Variations

Mexican Black Bean Hummus Ingredients (Use steps above, but replace with these ingredients.)

• Two 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, about 4 limes, plus lime zest
• 1/2 cup tahini paste
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, plus extra for garnish over top
• 2-4 cloves fresh garlic depending on size, minced OR 1 whole head of roasted garlic (Tip: Roasting will give hummus a smoother garlic flavor. Just preheat oven to 400 degrees F, cut top off garlic head, drizzle olive oil over top, wrap in foil, and bake for about 40 minutes. Garlic should be a golden brown color and soft. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-garlic-in-the-oven-5341)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 4 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
• 2-3 tablespoons water

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus Ingredients (Use steps above, but replace with these ingredients.)

• Two 15 oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup tahini paste
• 2-4 cloves fresh garlic depending on size, minced OR 1 whole head of roasted garlic (Tip: Roasting will give hummus a smoother garlic flavor. Just preheat oven to 400 degrees F, cut top off garlic head, drizzle olive oil over top, wrap in foil, and bake for about 40 minutes. Garlic should be a golden brown color and soft. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-garlic-in-the-oven-5341)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 8 large basil leaves
• 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2-3 tablespoons water