Basic Hummus
I find chickpeas to be one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. I use them to make hummus, chickpea salad, roasted them to use as croutons, add heartiness to a soup, or toss them with a salad. But just a plain hummus is still one of my favorite ways to use chickpeas. I eat hummus as a snack after my workouts or pair it with chopped veggies, chips, or rice cakes for a satisfying lunch.
As you are finding with most of my go-to recipes, they are pretty simple. This recipe is no different. It only takes a few ingredients, a food processor, and about 10 minutes! I do use a secret ingredient, well not a secret, that gives it a little more depth of flavor – toasted tahini! Most recipes call for raw tahini, but I don’t like the bitterness of it, so I use toasted tahini. I also add a good amount of lemon juice because I want mine with a punch of flavor. Plus adding citrus, like lemon juice, allows you cut down on the amount of salt that you use.
For this recipe, I use homemade chickpeas (soaked overnight, then pressure cooked for 15 minutes), lemons juice, toasted tahini, a little bit of olive oil, cumin, salt, and water.
Everything, except for the water, goes into the food processor. I pulse the mixture a few times to start breaking down the chickpeas and then I let it run. I add small amounts of water to keep the mixture moving and to help it become creamy. I usually end up using about a 1/2 cup of water. I then let the mixture chill for a few hours.
Basic Hummus
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed from the can or homemade)
- 7 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about one large lemon)
- 3 1/2 tbsp toasted tahini
- 1 tbsp high-quality olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients, except the water, into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade.
- Hit the pulse button about seven times to start breaking down the chickpeas
- Next, let the food processor run to start creaming the chickpeas. Add small amounts of water at a time, as needed, to keep the blade turning and make the chickpeas creamy. Traditionally, this step is completed with oil, but I prefer this lighter version made with water. You don't want to add too much water and make it runny, but just enough to make it creamy and fluffy. I usually use a little less than 1/2 cup of water when using the 3-cups of chickpeas.
- Once creamy, place in a sealed container and chill for a few hours before serving.
Notes
Hi! I’m Kristy. I am a conscious living lifestyle expert, a mom to many furry companions, a wife of a marathoner, an avid vegan cook, and a photography enthusiast. My family and I live in Vancouver, Washington. Find out more >>