Hummus

Quick Look_______________


So the analogy goes something like this....


mashed potatoes : potatoes ::


a) guacamole : avacados


b) hummus : garbanzo beans


It's really that simple. Hummus is mashed up garbanzo beans (chick peas) with a few extras mixed in. The surprising thing is that it's really not that expensive to make yourself. It's actually about 4 times more expensive to buy it at Costco. It's a good, healthy snack you can serve with pita chips, pita bread, or crackers. There are a ton of hummus recipes out there...go look up some and try different variations. I'm going to post a very basic recipe.

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: None
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Labor Intensity: Could do by yourself
  • 30 servings, adjust by 1.5x if your group tends to eat multiple servings.

Ingredients_______________

  • (4) 15oz cans of garbanzo beans
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup vegetable (olive) oil
  • salt
  • garlic (optional)
  • 1 cup Tahini (ground sesame paste)
  • Total: $5- $10

Directions_______________

  • Drain cans, but save 1 cup of the liquid.
  • Add 2 cans to a blender/food processor (or whatever quanitity it can hold)
  • Add 1/2cup tahini (I don't have this and often omit it, some people substitute sesame seeds)
  • Add 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • Add 1/4 cup oil (olive if you have it)
  • Add 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • You can add 2 whole cloves of garlic if you want.
  • Blend and slowly add 1/3 cup liquid from garbanzo beans until desired consistency
  • Repeat batch until finished

Tom's Tips and Tricks_______________

It's good and better for you since it doesn't have all the perservatives, but there's still something about store bought that I like a little more. Play around with the ingredients and modify it according to what you like.

Raw garlic will have a pungent flavor. You can make it mellow by dicing it and then frying it on a pan before blending.

Oil will make the hummus smoother and "creamier". If you want you can omit the oil, but it will be a bit grainy.

Some people add cumin and paprika. Both sound like they would go well with it.

If you want to try to substitute sesame seeds for tahini, you could dry roast them on a pan on medium heat, blend with oil to make a paste, then add the rest of the ingredients.

[Possible side dish] crackers, pita bread, pita chips

Comments

John C said…
Wow...didn't know it would be that easy to make this.
JP said…
man, where did you get your passion for food? :) amazing...

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