My Secret to Great Hummus

I first tasted hummus in San Diego, California back in 1980. Some friends had taken me to a Middle Eastern Restaurant. Since I was unfamiliar with most of the dishes, my friends ordered for all of us. I do love a culinary tour!

For appetizers, they ordered two dips - Hummus and Baba Ganooj. I fell in total love with Hummus then and there. I was determined to find a recipe and indeed found my first one in Betty Crocker's International CookBook. The recipe for hummus is one of the many reasons this cookbook is my all time favorite...

I have long since quit using a recipe. As I looked up the recipe for the purpose of writing this post, I see that I still pretty much stick to it even now. Except that I add olive oil as per another recipe I found in "Greek Vegetarian Cooking" by Alkmini Chaitow.

I have tried hummus in various places since and I find that many are too "dry" and "chalky" for my taste. My secret is to add extra tahini (sesame paste) for a creamier hummus.

So, here is my basic recipe for Hummus. Try adapting it to your taste. For example, you like a tangier taste, just add more lemon juice.

Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (drained)*
1/2 cup tahini
1-3 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
salt


Steps:

1. Place garbanzos, tahini, garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil and perhaps a tablespoon of the cooking liquid (see note below) into blender container. Pulse, occasionally stirring between pulses. Add oregano and salt to taste. Sometimes, I like to add a little cayenne pepper as well.

2. If you find that the mixture is a bit too dry, you can add lemon juice, olive oil, or cooking liquid as you think fit. I usually like to add a bit more oil or cooking liquid as I prefer a less tangy hummus. This is entirely up to you and what you like.

3. Serve with pita bread, crusty bread, or veggie dippers. Hummus also makes a great spread for sandwiches. Delicious and Nutritious!


*Note: I buy dried garbanzos, soak them, and cook them (covered in water) in my crockpot without seasoning. Then, I freeze them in batches of 2 cups each. When I drain them for use, I reserve the liquid. (If you are planning to make soup very soon, save reserved liquid in fridge. Used in soups, it adds flavor and no nutrients get wasted!)

You can also use canned garbanzos. When using canned, it is often suggested not to use the liquid. I would imagine that if you bought garbanzos packed without additives, this liquid would be fine to use.

Photo shows recent batch of hummus served with veggie dippers and homemade French Bread. This time I made the bread with 2 cups spelt flour and 1 cup white flour. It tasted great and as usual, neither the hummus or the bread lasted long...

(couple of hours later): Forgot to mention that sometimes, I like to make a whole meal around hummus. I serve it with both bread and plenty of veggie dippers as mentioned above...and I also put out calamata olives and feta cheese. Grapes, figs, dates, etc make a great finish. Leftovers can be refrigerated and nibbled on until they are gone - then it is time to make more!