Hummus

suzanne-mcminn

Serve with crackers, chips, raw vegetables, toasted bread, etc. An all-around creamy bean dip/spread.

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings: makes several cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes if beans are pepared

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or home-cooked chickpeas

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons sesame tahini

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup water, more or less for desired thickness

pinch ground cumin or coriander

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

Directions

Place half the chickpeas and half the oil in a food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to stir and push mixture back down. When it’s starting to get creamy, add the rest of the chickpeas and olive oil. Blend till smooth. Add remaining ingredients, except for salt, pepper, and paprika, and blend. When it’s all creamy-smooth, add the salt and pepper to taste and blend again. To serve, sprinkle with paprika and add a drizzle of olive oil.

Variations: After blending, fold in 2-3 tablespoons fresh herbs (or 2-3 teaspoons dried herbs), 1/2 to 1 cup caramelized onions or roasted peppers, 1/4 cup chopped olives, or 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach. If you don’t like the taste of tahini, you can even leave it out. Or try black bean hummus–use black beans instead of chick peas!

Categories: Appetizers & Snacks, Beans, Grains & Rice, Special Diets, Vegan, Vegetarian

Submitted by: suzanne-mcminn on April 10, 2011