Hummus is a healthy snack which originated in the eastern Mediterranean region. The basis is made with chickpeas and tahini sauce. It has a naturally nutty, garlicky taste. It’s a versatile food that lends itself to many different added flavors. We’ll show you how to make hummus 4 ways.
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are an ancient legume that has been cultivated for thousands of years. They are rich in protein, dietary fiber, folate, iron, and phosphorus.
Homemade hummus can be kept for 3-5 days in the refrigerator and for up to 6 months in the freezer. But if you’re anything like us, you’ll gobble it up in a day or two.
I’ll show you how to make a classic batch of hummus and then how to flavor it several different ways.
Hummus With 4 Flavor Variations
In this recipe we'll make a classic batch of hummus and then divide it into separate batches that we'll flavor with fava beans, roasted lemon, and roasted red peppers.
Ingredients
Tahini Sauce
- 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Hummus
- 19 oz chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- To make the tahini sauce, put the toasted sesame seeds into a food processor with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice.
- Process until the mixture becomes a paste. You may have to scrape down the sides of the mixer a repeat this process a few times before it starts to form a paste. Don't worry if the paste is not completely smooth. It will continue to smooth out as you add the chickpeas.
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas and add to the tahini mixture in the food processor. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt. Blend until smooth.
- The mixture will have a dry texture. Add water and mix again. The water will give the hummus mixture a soft, fluffy texture.
Video
Notes
We usually make a double batch of hummus and then divide it into four batches. We keep one classic, and then flavor the other three in different ways. In the attached video we flavored batches with fava beans, roasted lemon, and roasted red peppers. Other flavor ideas are olives, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, jalapeños, chili paste, etc. Have fun experimenting.
Fava Bean Hummus - When you remove fava beans from their padded pods, they are still in an outer shell. Put the beans with their shell into rapidly boiling water for about 3 minutes until they float. Allow to cool and pop the beans our of their shell. Put 1/4 of the batch of classic hummus into a food processor or blender, add the fava beans, and blend until smooth.
Lemon Hummus - Take 4 slices of lemon and put on a baking sheet covered in parchment. Coat the lemon slices with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Put 1/4 of the batch of classic hummus into a food processor or blender, add the roasted lemon slices, and blend until smooth.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - You can find roasted red peppers in the supermarket or make your own in the oven. Put 1/4 of the batch of classic hummus into a food processor or blender, add the roasted red peppers, and blend until smooth.
You can vary the measurements of the additional ingredients depending on taste.
