Hummus 3 Ways

A great way to add beans to your diet and to make fresh vegetables more exciting is to eat hummus.  Hummus is a dip or spread that has Middle Eastern origins and has been around for hundreds of years.  It is on restaurant menus, served in school cafeterias, and available in many flavors on grocery store shelves.   The best tasting hummus is homemade, and gives you the choice of bean variety and flavors. 

Traditional hummus is made with garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, fresh garlic, olive oil, and salt.  With the right equipment (a small food processor or a reliable blender), it is very easy to make and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Hummus is rich in protein, iron, fiber, vitamin C and calcium and provides healthy fat from the sesame seeds.  It makes a perfect, portable snack that will help you maintain your blood sugar throughout the day.

Now for the 3 Ways

There are endless varieties of hummus you can make using different beans and spices, and The Desert Café in Baltimore reportedly has a rotating menu of more than 175 versions!  Thanks to the Food Network Magazine, they have shared three recipes to make at home (each makes about 4 cups):

Sour Cream and Onion Hummus

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, ½ cup liquid reserved

2 to 3 gloves garlic

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons dried minced onion

1 ½ teaspoons onion powder

1 ½ teaspoons granulated garlic

Kosher salt

Put the chickpeas, chickpea liquid, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, dried onion, onion powder, granulated garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Buffalo Wing Hummus

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, ½ cup liquid reserved

2 to 3 gloves garlic

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 to 3 tablespoons cayenne hot sauce

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Kosher salt

Put the chickpeas, chickpea liquid, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, paprika, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, vinegar and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a food processor.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Pizza Hummus

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 to 3 gloves garlic

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, ½ cup liquid reserved

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the tomato paste, oregano and basil and cook until slightly toasted, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the tomato paste mixture to a food processor.  Add the garlic, chickpeas, chickpea liquid, tahini, lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Go to the Food Network online to see all 47 recipes for hummus:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipe-collections/hummus/index.html?No=0