Homemade Hummus

Homemade Hummus

Delicious, versatile and easy to make, hummus is a healthy and inexpensive way to dress up a veggie plate, add body to a salad dressing or use as sandwich spread. This is a mild, tasty hummus you can use all year round – and it has a good balance of protein, fiber, unsaturated fat, minerals & vitamins.

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 4 cups water
• 2 scrubbed carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 thick slice raw ginger
• 1 dried red chili (optional)*
• 1-2 tsp cumin seed
• Juice of 2 lemons (about 2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tahini*
• Salt & pepper (to taste)

1. In the morning, put 1 cup of dried chickpeas to soak in 2 -3 cups of filtered water.
2. In the evening, drain the chickpeas and place in a heavy pot with: water, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, raw ginger, red chili, and cumin seed.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat & cook for up to an hour.  The goal is tender but not mushy.
4. Discard the vegetables and drain off the liquid into a measuring cup.  Put the cooked chickpeas in a blender with: lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, salt, pepper, and 2-4 tbsp of the reserved liquid.
5. Blend until creamy; add more salt if necessary.  If you have leftover liquid, you can use it in other recipes (when cooking rice or soup, for example) – or give it to a houseplant!
6. Serve garnished with minced parsley and red pepper, & maybe a drizzle of olive oil.

Some variations:

• Garlic lovers can add 1 – 2 cloves of raw garlic; blend well!
• Roasted red pepper makes a colorful and tasty addition
• Mix in minced basil or spinach for a green version
• Try making this with white beans instead of chickpeas

*Available at Indian grocery stores