Five-Minute Homemade Hummus (Video)

Thursday, November 8, 2012

All it takes is a few ingredients and a food processor to whip up homemade hummus that’s tastier than most store-bought versions.

Years ago, hummus used to be limited to circles of hard-core vegetarians and vegans seeking a nutritious source of non-animal protein. Somewhere along the line, the mainstream public caught on to its creamy deliciousness and hummus now shows up in lots of omnivorous circles here in the US. Of course, it’s been around for ages on tables in the Middle East, home of its origin. Is it time for you to see for yourself what all the fuss is about? Or perhaps you already enjoy this savory spread but haven’t yet tried your hand at making it from scratch? So easy, and all you need is five minutes and a few ingredients to whip it up at home.

Go for it! You’ll be glad you did.

Artichoke Hummus to Go, Please

This video is from several months ago, but I just made hummus again last night, on a whim, to send my husband off to the theatre with a healthy snack to munch on during dress rehearsal for our production of Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll opening tomorrow. This is my subtle way of saying “Please don’t eat pizza for dinner again.”

I may have less-than-subtly also said “Please don’t eat pizza for dinner again.”

Anyhow, I don’t always have “homemade” garbanzos on hand—i.e., those prepared from dried—so I simply grabbed two cans of a no-sodium brand from my pantry. (I always have canned beans on hand in my pantry. For chili, Southwestern scrambled eggs, to throw on a big salad, or whatever. Great source of protein, fiber, and many other nutrients that always comes in handy.) This is to say that you can certainly use a good quality canned garbanzo for homemade hummus to make things even speedier if you’re not up to preparing them from dried: still makes a mighty delicious hummus. As well, I was able to use the garbanzo liquid from the cans. (Yay, less food waste!)

In yesterday’s recipe I mixed up the flavors, too, including canned artichokes that gave an additional phytonutrient and fiber boost with a subtle artichoke-y flavor that was the different complement: amazing, and artichoke is now my favorite kind of hummus. Roasted red pepper, cilantro, pesto—play around and make it your own! You can vary the legumes, too; white beans work beautifully. (The parsley oil and toasted pine nuts are a delightful garnish, but not at all necessary.) Finally, do let the hummus sit for a few hours if you can. I can’t always make that happen, either, but there is a gustatory difference as the flavors develop over time. In other words, I liked the hummus I made yesterday, but I adore it today.

And it’s far healthier than take-away pizza.

Especially for the fourth night in a row.*

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* Poetic license, people. Like I would ever allow my husband to eat pizza that many nights in a row. You all know how much I love pizza—garlicky white, heirloom tomato, and a red and white pie, not to mention the classic NYC slice—but… Come on.

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Learn more about food personality and health expert Dr. PK Newby here, or her experience as a nutrition scientist, professor, and consultant here. Or click here if you just want to ogle food porn featuring plant-based, globally inspired cooking.