Hummus is one of those foods that, if you put it in front of me, I could probably eat the whole container… easily. It’s a delicious and filling snack to have with crackers or veggies, as a spread on sandwiches, or even on a spoon straight from the container.
If you go to a grocery store and browse the hummus selection, you’ll most likely find that most hummus spreads all contain the same ingredients. And often times, I’m very impressed with the fact that they contain no funky ingredients. However, there are also some brands that do add unnecessary flavors or preservatives to the hummus – things like soybean oil or potassium bromate. Rather than wasting my time at the grocery store reading through nutrition labels, I prefer to make homemade versions of my favorite foods whenever possible – hummus included.
One of the biggest misconceptions about making your own food is that it’s too hard or too time-consuming. However, what people don’t realize is that making your own foods can actually be quite fast and easy! Plus, making your own foods at home allows you to know exactly what is going into the food you are eating (you wouldn’t add any strange ingredients or chemicals, would you?), and it also allows you to customize flavors and textures to your liking. And as if you need another reason, it’s actually really fun to make your own food, especially when you have someone to help you out. Overall, it’s a win-win-win situation!
This recipe for hummus that I’m sharing with you is my go-to recipe that I make almost every week. It’s so quick and easy to whip up and it only involves 5 simple ingredients (plus seasonings).
Making one batch of this recipe provides a very generous amount of hummus, about the same amount you would find in a store-bought carton of hummus. However, when I priced it out, I found that it was actually cheaper to make my own hummus at home. So let’s recap: It’s full of real ingredients, it’s quick and easy, it’s fun to make, and it’s cheaper. Hopefully that’s enough reasons to motivate you to start making your own hummus!
As you can see from the picture above, I use Soom tahini spread, which is my absolute favorite. Their tahini is single-sourced and made from one ingredient only – sesame seeds! Not only does it taste amazing and offer many nutritional benefits (see this post), but their company and their customer service is beyond incredible. Soom is a completely women-owned company (woohoo girl power!), and they are always doing amazing new things. If you haven’t already, definitely check out Soom tahini (and their chocolate tahini spread!)
Okay, now let’s get back to the hummus. Whenever I make hummus, my secret is to whip just the tahini and lemon juice for 1-2 minutes in the food processor. Doing this makes the tahini incredibly creamy and fluffy, and this contributes to a hummus with a better overall texture. Definitely don’t skip out on this step.
When it’s all done and ready to go, this hummus can be eaten with just about anything. I love to cut up corn tortillas from Trader Joe’s, pop them in the toaster to make my own tortilla chips, and then dipping them into the hummus. Other times, I spread the hummus on my sweet potatoes (anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with sweet potatoes), on a sandwich, or use it with these sweet potato falafel patties. The point I’m trying to make is that this hummus is very versatile and can be eaten with a variety of different foods.
If you’ve made it this far, hopefully I’ve inspired you to make your own hummus at home. I promise that it’s not hard at all, and the taste is so much fresher than any hummus you’ll ever purchase at the grocery store. If you’re not ready to buy Soom tahini yet, then no worries! Most grocery stores now carry jars of tahini, oftentimes near the peanut butters or in the ethnic section. However, I can guarantee you that Soom tahini will always be the best out there 🙂
- ¼ cup + 2 TBSP Soom tahini
- ¼ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (this makes all the difference!)
- 2-3 TBSP olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced (or half of a large clove)
- 1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium garbanzo beans (chick peas), rinsed and drained
- ¼ tsp. salt and black pepper
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- 2-3 TBSP water
- Add the tahini and freshly-squeezed lemon juice to a food processor. Cover and process for about 20 seconds, then stop to scrape down the side. Repeat 2-3 times, until tahini is thick and fluffy.
- Add the olive oil and minced garlic, and continue to blend for about 30 seconds.
- Remove the lid, scrape down the sides, and then add half of the garbanzo beans, along with the salt, pepper, and cumin. Blend for 30-40 seconds, or until no large clumps of garbanzo beans remain.
- Remove the lid, scrape down the sides, and add the remaining garbanzo beans. While the food processor is still running, slowly add 2 TBSP of water and continue to blend for another 45-60 seconds.
- If you would like the hummus a little thinner, add more water (1 TBSP at a time) or olive oil and blend until desired consistency is reached.
- Pour into a bowl or container, garnish with some fresh parsley, and then dig in!
