Monday, July 21, 2014
Ah, hummus. Never really cared for it, truth be told. Like so many store-bought products, the flavor and quality varies greatly. (That’s my polite way of saying that it often sucks.) There are exceptions to this rule, like a particular brand at Trader Joe’s that I’ve been calling “crack hummus;” if it’s on hand, I can’t get enough.
That said, hummus is so easy to make at home (here’s a short cooking video), and I’ve come to prefer the fresher flavor and less homogeneous texture of my own recipe. I love beginning with dried beans—they’re not just for kindergarten art projects, you know—though my desire to eat hummus doesn’t always coincide with the extra time needed to start completely from scratch. Fortunately, both chick peas (garbanzo beans) and artichokes are handily found on the supermarket shelves, making this version of hummus even quicker to whip up at home. And I’m literally talking about five minutes here, folks, so grab yourself a no-salt added can of each and a few kitchen staples and let’s get cooking.
Artichoke Hummus
Ingredients
- 2 cups chick peas, drained (save liquid)
- 2 cups artichoke hearts, drained (save liquid)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup water
- Juice from 1/4 lemon, freshly squeezed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
For more information on how to make hummus, you can watch this five-minute video. Basically, all you need to do is put everything together in the food processor, taste, and adjust the seasoning to suit your palate. Note that for the liquid you can use either the artichoke water or garbanzo liquid from the cans, assuming there was no salt added, or just use water. Start with the lower amounts of ingredients in the recipe and go from there; I often find myself adding a bit more lemon juice or water and an extra drizzle or two of olive oil.
Note that while this hummus can be eaten immediately, the garlicky flavor that I adore really comes out once it’s hung out in the fridge for a while. Then it’s even better. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and give it a crack of pepper, or perhaps a scatter of pine nuts, for extra yumminess.
There are so many ways to enjoy hummus. For me, it’s usually with a handful of whatever veggies I have on hand for a satisfying snack. Or slather some on a piece of whole grain bread with tomatoes and cucumbers for an open-faced sandwich, as I did here. However you use it, hummus is a scrumptious treat you can feel good about eating. And if you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other favorite kind of hummus, roasted red pepper, and you can watch a generic how-to video here.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
What a great post! I just followed you to stay updated on your future posts and I look forward to them. I recently started my own vegan/political blog, so feel free to check it out and let me know what you think!
http://MannyRutinel.com
Have a great day! 😀