A Hunger for Hummus

A few years ago, when my husband was recovering from quadruple bypass surgery, I made many adjustments to our eating habits.  I cut out lots of our usual processed, “easy” foods, and learned to make more things at home, fresh and no preservatives or unnecessarily added ingredients.  

One healthy food I wanted to make at home was hummus.  You can easily pick up hummus at the store and many brands are good, but I find that store-bought brands tend to have a lingering aftertaste, most likely from the preservatives used to extend their shelf life.  But homemade hummus is delicious and not as hard to make as you might think and extremely economical.

What IS hummus and why is it so good for you?  It’s origins are from the Middle East.  Traditionally, it is made with chick peas, tahini, which is sesame paste, garlic, lemon juice and spices. That’s it.

It’s so good for you because it is packed with protein, fiber and the better-for-you carbs.  Garlic has also been shown to have many health benefits.  Hummus is, of course, delicious with pita bread or chips, but it is equally good as a veggie dip, or added to a Mediterranean salad.

I researched a variety of recipes on Pinterest and set out to find the best.  The classic recipe that I landed on came from a well-known food personality, Tori Avey.  I found her recipe from back when she was “Shiksa in the Kitchen.”  Now you can find her recipes and such at www.toriavey.com. She is a convert to Judaism and her husband grew up in Israel, so I considered her to be close to the real deal.  I have since adapted my own recipe, but it would not be what it is today without first learning from Tori.

The very first lesson I learned the hard way is that you need a very good food processor.  For my first attempt at hummus, I used a mini prep processor that we got for our wedding and I had to take so many extra steps that it was a frustrating ordeal.  Shortly thereafter, I bought my own early Christmas present – a REAL food processor.

I chose a Hamilton Beach food processor and I have been very pleased.  It turns out that it’s mighty handy for more than just hummus.  But whatever brand you choose, it does have to have a large capacity and good strong blades.

The next lesson I learned was about the chick peas themselves.  They are a funny little legume that come with a skin around them.  That skin is perfectly edible, but removing it makes for much smoother hummus.  

You can choose to soak dried chick peas overnight, and some say this makes for better flavor.  I did try soaking chick peas overnight once and didn’t notice a significant change in flavor to using the canned ones.  I was also mildly disturbed by the sound coming from the kitchen as the peas began to expand.  I thought I had mice for a minute there.  But I digress….

There are a few ways to remove the skins, and no matter how you do it, this will be the most tedious task in making hummus.  My preferred method is to drain the cans, rinse the chick peas and them gently roll them between 2 layers of paper towels.  Apply gentle pressure, so you don’t prematurely mash your chick peas.  Roll for a short time, lift up the top layer of towel and you will see the skins have started to come off.  Pull off all the loose skins and pop the clean chick peas into a bowl.  Some may need a little persuasion with a gentle squeeze at the bottom of the pea.  It will pop right out.

Some other recipes call for raw garlic to taste, but roasted garlic really adds another level.  In fact, I love roasted Elephant Garlic.  It is milder in flavor and it has huge bulbs which turn smooth and creamy when roasted.  I got mine at our local farmers market, but you can find it in most gorcery stores as well.

Another secret for smooth and creamy hummus is reserving the liquid from one can of chick peas to add to the mixture.  You can add it a little bit at a time to reach the texture you like best, but I have learned that I like to add a whole can of reserved liquid.

Once you have pureed the mixture to your desired texture, you can move it from the food processor to a serving bowl and garnish.  You can drizzle with olive oil and sprinkles of paprika or other spices you may like.  I have found a Middle Eastern spice blend called Zahtar.  It is a blend of sesame seed, sumac, sea salt and thyme.  I found it at the Spice and Tea Exchange in Savannah, GA, but you can also order it online at www.spiceandtea.com.

If you find you like making hummus at home, there are many other varieties to try.  If you find something new and exciting, please let me know!

AuthorMelissa JoyDifficultyIntermediate