Hummus

Hummus is an ancient staple of the Middle East. Even though Arabs, Greeks and Israeli's lay claim to this delicacy, the earliest mention of hummus dates back to Egypt in the 13th century. When it comes to hummus today, most of us opt to buy it in the store rather than make it at home, but you can make it from scratch and it’ll be better than anything you can get in your local deli or specialty store. So go ahead, give it a shot – you’ll be surprised at how fast and easy it is and you will probably never buy store-bought again :)

INGREDIENTS

• Either a strong blender or food processor, I recommend the latter.
• One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed (You don't have to shell them)
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• ¼  cup tahini (See recipe HERE!)
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• ¾  teaspoon fresh ground sea salt
• ½ - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons water
• Dash of ground paprika for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION

·         The only thing you really need to follow strictly is the order in which you add ingredients to your food processor.

·         Add the tahini and lemon juice to the processor and blend for 1 minute, until smooth

·         Scrape down the sides and blend for another 30 seconds until creamy

·         Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and salt and process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30-60 seconds.

·         Add ½ the chickpeas and blend for one full minute

·         Scrape down the sides, add the remaining half and blend another 2 minutes, until smooth (If the mixture is still chunky, add the water and blend until smooth)

·         Remove the finished product to a bowl, drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons EVOO and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika. 

      Serve with pita or flatbread and ‘bil hana wish shifa’! That’s bon appétit in Egyptian Arabic :)

 

* Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.