Hummus & Variations

HUMMUS & VARIATIONS

Into a food processor put all the following:

1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas
1 - 2 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
2 - 4 cloves of garlic
a dash or two of lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
quite a bit of ground cumin (around 3 - 4 Tbsp)
a little bit of water
a drizzle of oil (optional)

Depending on how soft your chickpeas are, you will need more or less water to make a smooth paste. Just add a little bit at first and puree everything together. If it seems a bit crumbly rather than creamy, add more water. You can also drizzle a little bit of oil which also gives it a nice texture. Always add the oil at the last minute if you are using it.

Both the salt and cumin should be added according to your taste. Add them a bit at a time.

Note: if eating with something salty, like tortilla chips, I leave out the salt. But if eating with fresh veggies, I do put in the salt.

VARIATIONS:

BEANS: I make this recipe using different beans, such as blackbeans, kidney beans, etc or even a combination of beans if I am making a double batch.

VEGGIES: In addition to garlic, I sometimes add other veggies, such as tomatoes, peppers, fresh cilantro, parsley or dill. When adding tomatoes, leave out the water because the tomato will provide more than enough moisture. Sometimes I roast the garlic and/or tomatoes.

SPICES: In addition to cumin, I sometimes add other spices such as chili powder or chili flakes, oregano, or black pepper. You can also add more lemon juice if you want a more lemony dip.

DECORATION: Sometimes I drizzle a little more oil on top to decorate the dip once it is ready to serve. It looks especially pretty with a few chili flakes and a bit of olive oil on top.

Example variation recipe:
1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)

1 roma tomato (it could be any tomato, but romas have less juice, so they work nicely)

3 cloves garlic
a small handful of fresh cilantro
a dash or two of lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
quite a bit of ground cumin (around 3 - 4 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp or so chili poweder/chili flakes

a drizzle of oil (optional)