in the kitchen: favorite hummus

by john & kristen on June 14, 2011

I love chickpeas. I love them pan-fried, roasted, in salads…I love falafel…and most of all, I love hummus. John and I have been whipping up homemade hummus together practically since we started dating, and it’s one of our favorite quick, healthy snacks.

We like ours with lots of garlic and lemon, some fresh parsley for brightness, and a topping of colorful paprika. The amount of garlic is totally up to you; we usually use 3-4 medium size cloves, and we’re warning you, that makes for some seriously potent hummus. (We keep gum, Listerine and our toothbrushes handy if we’re planning on seeing friends after we eat this.) Keep in mind that the flavors tend to intensify in the hours after you whip up a batch.

Sometimes we switch up our usual hummus recipe by adding a few pieces of roasted red pepper (John roasts a few peppers in the oven and keeps ‘em in the fridge for future use, so we can easily grab them for sandwiches, pasta sauces, and of course, hummus). The peppers give the hummus a pretty, reddish color and really punch up the flavor.

Here’s our basic recipe:

Favorite Hummus
1 can chickpeas (16 oz), rinsed and drained
1 heaping tsp tahini
3-4 medium cloves garlic
olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika, plus more for serving
salt and pepper

1. Rinse and drain chickpeas and place into the bowl of a food processor.

2. Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, paprika, and about a teaspoon of the olive oil. Process until smooth, streaming in additional olive oil until you have a smooth, well-integrated mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Refrigerate until cool.

4. Top with paprika and serve with toasted pita wedges or pita chips. So good!