I wanted to share a couple simple recipes we have been enjoying on a regular basis here. We are often wishing we had more easy snack food on hand during our busy days, and hummus has helped fill some gaps. Hummus is a flavorful, creamy, protein rich dip or spread. And it’s so versatile. After trying a couple recipes, I found what works just right for our tastes.
One batch starts with 3 cups of cooked garbanzo beans. I like to make at least a double batch, sometimes triple, and freeze the excess for later.
Step one is to prepare your beans:
Soak about 1.5 cups dry beans (which will double in size) for a single batch, or 3 cups for a double batch. Let them soak overnight. Longer is fine too, just make sure to rinse them periodically after any soak times longer than 6-8 hours or so. If you soak and rinse them long enough, they will sprout, which makes them even more digestible.
When you are done soaking, rinse your beans well, cover with fresh water, and cook until very soft. Let them cool, and strain off excess liquid.
Simple Hummus
In a food processor add:
3 Cups of cooked beans
The juice and pulp of 2 medium lemons
4 big glugs of olive oil (about 4-5 tablespoons)
2 Tbs sesame tahini
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
Sea salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne optional
Blend well, until creamy and smooth. I like to blend between the addition of each ingredient to incorporate as I go. Give it a taste… you might want to add more garlic, or a bit more salt, or lemon. The flavors will intensify though, as it the hummus sets in the fridge.
Version 2: Lemon Rosemary Dip
In the food processor add:
3 Cups cooked garbanzo beans
Juice and pulp of 2 medium lemons
4 Tbs olive oil
A couple sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
Sea salt to taste
Blend well, until creamy and smooth. The rosemary will infuse throughout the dip as it sets, so the flavors will intensify with time.
I store about half of each recipe in the fridge, and the other half in the freezer. Hummus freezes well, but will spoil if left in the fridge for too long, so this is a nice way to cut down on the frequency of preparation. Use your spreads to dip veggies or tortilla chips, roll into a corn tortilla with melted cheese, spread onto toasted bread, spoon onto pasta, enjoy!
