Creamy Hummus

Hummus is a delicious and nutritious dip/spread that has become a staple in our vegan diet! My kids love dipping everything from carrot sticks to tomatoes to chips in it. It is also a great sandwich filling. Store bought hummus, while tasty, is so overpriced, and the homemade version is a snap to prepare! Every vegan cook needs a good, standby hummus recipe. This is my basic recipe, but it can be spiced up in many ways! For example, I like to roast a red pepper or a bulb of garlic and add it to the hummus. Sometimes I’ll make a big batch of this basic hummus and then divide it up and make several variations! Have fun and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans*
• 1/3 cup roasted sesame tahini
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 – 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup water, as needed
• more olive oil for drizzling

Preparation:

Place all ingredients except water into a food processor, and process briefly. Add 1/4 cup water and process again, scraping down sides occasionally. You may need to add more water to reach your desired consistency. Process very thoroughly, at least 1-2 minutes, for a smooth and creamy hummus. Chill, if desired. Grind a bit more black pepper over the top, and drizzle some additional olive oil on the hummus to serve. Enjoy with pita bread, pita chips, corn chips, and/or fresh cut veggies!

* To cook chickpeas, simply soak 1 cup dry chickpeas for 6+ hours (or overnight), drain, and rinse. Place them in a pan covered with a liberal amount of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 1 – 1 1/2 hours. Yields 2 cups cooked. Canned chickpeas can also be used in this recipe, 1 14-oz can is about 2 cups.