The very first time I tried Hummus was a store bought dip from the supermarket fridge. It was a bit grainy and watery but it's all I had ever tried and to me it was pretty good!
It wasn't until I went to Israel to visit our dear friends, Pia and Gideon, where my tastebuds were blown by the amazing creaminess and sexy velvety texture of a really really good hummus.
After that trip, I realised that nothing that I could buy from an Australian supermarket was ever going to compare to what I could get in the Middle East, which meant that I needed to try and recreate it in my own kitchen.
Hummus is a relatively easy dip to make, all you need is a food processor/mini blender and some fresh lemon, tahini, garlic and of course chickpeas. I follow a relatively standard recipe, except that I will always add a *bit* more tahini than specified, and that's what gives it that extra creamy richness.
Recipe
- Requires a food processor
2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved
1/2 cup tahini with some of its oil, plus a heaped teaspoon or more - for luck.
50mls extra virgin olive oil, plus some extra for serving
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp Salt and freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed Method
Pro tip from one of my readers: Blend olive oil and tahini together first, for a smoother hummus.
Then, add remaining ingredients into a food processor, blend until really, really, really smooth.
Add a little reserved chickpea liquid, to thin out the mixture to your desired texture.
Check seasoning and acidity, adjust as desired.
To serve, spread onto a plate and drizzle with a beautiful table quality extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with your favourite spices eg paprika/cumin/dukkah.
I tend to make a batch and leave it the fridge. We have it on toast in the morning, or as a snack with some homemade crackers, or sourdough bread. Its a great way to incorporate legumes into your diet, adding extra fibre, prebiotics, protein and healthy fats into your diet.