Simple and healthy homemade hummus

My husband and I absolutely love Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. We got our first taste several years ago in Egypt and have tried every local restaurant we could find ever since. Our kids also are fans, although they are slightly pickier. One of our favorite items, which I make at home regularly, is hummus. If you’ve never tried homemade hummus before, you might be surprised how easy it is to make this bean dip. It goes in sandwiches, with veggies, or – as we prefer – with a warm piece of pita bread.

Hummus recipe

Making it at home is really easy. These are ingredients we usually have on hand. Plus, if you’ve ever priced the premade stuff in the grocery store, it is crazy-expensive.

A note about Tahini: Tahini is sesame seed paste. I can find it at most grocery stores, but less-urban areas may not have it as readily. My favorite brand is MaraNatha, but I also like the organic store brand from Sprouts. Both are all natural and the MaraNatha comes in a glass container. I have purchased other brands in a metal tin but the metal rusts pretty easily.

Tahina is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. It makes a good alternative to peanut butter too, although it’s a bit drier.

Ingredients:

• 1 can garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) or 2 cups of cooked dried beans
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Note: All measurements are approximate because I usually “eyeball” it. If you aren’t precise, that’s okay.

Instructions:

Drain the beans and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chopped, but not smooth. Add the olive oil, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice and pulse until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides if necessary with a spatula. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover leftovers and refrigerate.

Serve it as a dip with bread or veggies. Use it as a sandwich spread like in my veggie wraps. This is a great item to mix up at the beginning of the week to have on hand for snacking.

How do you eat your hummus?

Yield: Approximately 3 cups

Hummus

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Drain the beans and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chopped, but not smooth. Add the olive oil, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice and pulse until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides if necessary with a spatula. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover leftovers and refrigerate.