Hummus

Once exotic, hummus is now a grocery store staple. It is also now considered children’s fare (at least in the UK), along with fish fingers, chipolatas, and those mini Babybel cheeses. Both my girls adore sandwiches filled with hummus and sliced black olives.

Other vegetables are getting in on the hummus act. Butternut squash, red pepper, spinach and beet hummus are all a thing. Call me old fashioned, but if it doesn’t contain chickpeas and tahini, it’s not hummus – it’s a dip.Hummus can vary in texture from grainy to silky smooth. In some, the earthy taste of tahini dominates, while in others the tahini “must have walked through it on stilts”, as my dad used to say.

This is the standard hummus I’ve been making for decades. Sometimes I go to the effort of skinning the chickpeas, which results in a smoother hummus. And sometimes I don’t…

Hummus
(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 tin chickpeas, drained (liquid reserved)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• juice of a lemon
• 2 Tb tahini
• 2 Tb olive oil
• salt and pepper
• paprika or zahatar to garnish (optional)

1. Combine the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and tahini in a food processor and blend to a paste.
2. While the machine is running, slowly add the olive oil and continue to blend until smooth.
3. If the hummus seems too dry, add either olive oil or some of the reserved chickpea liquid until it reaches the desired consistency. (A couple of spoonfuls of plain yogurt works well too.)
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with paprika or zahatar and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tags: chickpeas, dairy-free, gluten-free, Middle Eastern food, tahini, vegan, vegetarian