Chickpeas… they are funky little things aren’t they? They are nutty (to me they taste a lot like peanut butter), packed with protein and it seems, the latest rage. Now these quirky little funkmeisters can be pretty diverse. They are a staple on every salad bar (trust me, try it.. they are awesome!!), they can be turned into a sweet/smokey/salty snack (seriously, you need to try this either smokey or cinnamon/sugar!), they can be ground and made into burgers (OMG they are insanely good with black beans!) and I think the most common use.. Hummus.
Growing up almost every party had a bowl of chips and onion dip. As I got older and Chi Chi’s restaurants came to town the rage when to chips and salsa. Now the rage is hummus with chips/veggies/whatever… Now this isn’t a “new” thing. It’s been around for centuries in other cultures.
And just like dips and salsa, you can get Hummus in 900 bajillion flavors and varieties. I really don’t have a favorite. What flavor I make depends on what I want to use with it. Next time you make a turkey burger; instead of reaching for ketchup or mayo, try a slice of avocado, smoked cheddar and hummus! Those flavors marry so well together.
Wow… I so have a craving for that turkey burger now. Hmmm… to go to the store or not now. …thinking
Anyway, I was making one of my favorite healthy snacks this morning but was out of hummus. Now I refuse to by hummus in the store. It’s ridiculous expensive for a small container. And for those that know me, I’m frugal. If I can make it from scratch, I will. 99.9% of the time, it’s a bajillion times better anyway! Plus, I can control what I want in it.
This comes together in no time. The longest part is shelling the chick peas.
I’m going to let you on a little secret here but don’t share, k? It’ll be just between us. Lean in closer, I’m gonna whisper it…
The secret to getting super creamy hummus is to remove the shell.
Really. That’s the secret.
Yes it sounds simple but these little suckers are a pain the butt to shell. They are easy to do but as I was shelling them you would have thought I was playing marbles as those little suckers were flinging all over the place. The best way I found was to put them between a few paper towels and lightly rub them around. Don’t squish them. Applying this type of movement usually removes them. Just double check for any stragglers.
PrintHummina hummina hummina Hummus!
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed WITH THE SKINS removed
- 1–2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (I prefer kosher)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Add the water, lemon juice and tahini to a food processor/blender.
- Blend on high until the tahini becomes fluffy and light in color.
- Add in the garlic, salt, paprika and cumin.
- Blend until pureed.
- With the machine running add in the oil and process until incorporated.
- While running add the shelled chickpeas a little at a time. If it seems too thick add a little bit more water.
- Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.
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