Hooray for Hummus

Wikipedia tells us that hummus is “a Levantine Arab dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is a popular food throughout the Middle East.” But it is also very popular here in the U.S., and more and more, I see hummus recipes that are altogether different, some not even containing chickpeas.

Everyone in my family loves hummus, and we always serve it with a variety of raw, colorful vegetables for dipping. It’s a snap to make, and homemade hummus beats store-bought hummus any day!

Here are three types of hummus we’ve enjoyed. Please share your recipes!

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Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 ½ Lemon, juiced
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Parsley and kalamata olives for garnish
• Raw veggies for dipping: carrots, celery, sweet peppers, cucumbers, broccoli (peeled stalks are great), etc.

Preparation

1. Process garlic in a food processor until chopped fine.
2. Add garbanzo beans, lemon juice, salt, and a few glugs of olive oil in the food processor and process.
3. Continue to add more olive oil a little bit at a time, and process until smooth. Hummous needs to be processed quite a bit to get nice and creamy.
4. Transfer hummus to a serving plate or bowl. Garnish with parsley and olives. Serve with raw vegetables.

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Hummus with Kalamata Olives

Ingredients

• All ingredients needed for hummus, above
• 1/2 cup or more pitted kalamata Olives

Preparation

1. Prepare hummus recipe above through step 3.
2. Add kalamata olives, and pulse the food processor 3-5 times, just until the olives are roughly chopped.
3. Transfer hummus to a serving plate or bowl. Garnish with parsley and olives. Serve with raw vegetables.

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Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

This is a hummus that is full of nutrients as well as flavor. If you use raw tahini, this can be a 100% raw dish.

Ingredients

• 2 cups zucchini, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ – ½ cup tahini (depending on how much you like sesame flavor)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• ⅓ cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine
• pinch paprika
• Raw veggies for dipping: carrots, celery, sweet peppers, cucumbers, broccoli (peeled stalks are great), etc.

Preparation

1. Process zucchini, garlic, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, tahini, and salt in a food processor until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into a bowl, and stir in parsley and sun-dried tomatoes.
3. Set aside and let sit for at least 10 min. Garnish with parsley. Serve with raw vegetables.