Green Recipe Book - Homemade Hummus

Photo credit: aweeks, stock.xchang

The first time I made hummus at home, my 17 year old son was fascinated by the process. In his mind, hummus comes in little plastic containers from the supermarket. It had never occurred to him that you might be able to make it at home - and he was amazed at how easy it is to make. Now that he knows how to make it, he's prone to make up a batch himself for afternoon snack, or grab it out of the fridge to spread it on whole wheat bread. Here's how to do make your own hummus at home.


What you need:
1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of one whole lemon
2-3 tblsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 tsp sesame tahini

Note: Canned chick peas are packed in salted water. Draining and rinsing them reduces the sodium somewhat, but you'll still have somewhat higher sodium than if you start with dried beans and soak then cook them yourself. The hummus will also taste soooo much better.

What you do:

1. Dump the garbanzos and the garlic into the food processor barrel. (Yes, I use a manual food processor like the one at the left - no electricity!)
2. Process till the beans are a thick paste.
3. Add lemon juice, tahini and oil slowly while you continue processing.
4. Process until hummus is a thick, smooth paste.
5. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika and a sprig of parsley.

5 ways to use hummus

1. Substitute hummus and pita bread for chips and dip.
2. Spread hummus on whole grain toast instead of butter. Sprinkle with parsley and sesame seeds.
3. Make a sandwich of hummus, fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and black olives.
4. Stir a few tablespoons of hummus into a serving of cream of broccoli or asparagus soup for extra protein pow.
5. Serve with scallions and chopped onion.