I know it’s no surprise to some, but I love appetizers. One of my favorite things is to go out with my husband or friends, and rather than ordering a complete meal, we split appetizers. We have even started having appetizer night when we camp.
Today’s recipe is for hummus. Homemade hummus is hands-down better than any store-bought hummus! It is also easy to make! However, finding tahini in my neck of the woods can be hit or miss. Therefore, I will include a recipe below for homemade tahini. If you plan to make homemade tahini, make it first.
To make the creamiest hummus, remove the skin from the chickpeas. Gently pinch the pea, and the skin will come off very quickly. Removing the skin is certainly not a requirement for delicious hummus, but it will be creamier.
Hummus is excellent served with carrots, cucumbers, pita chips, naan, or even on sandwiches and wraps. Of course, you can also jazz up your hummus and make amazing flavors. Use your imagination for all kinds of possibilities. Roasted red pepper, roasted beets, or black olives are a few of my favorite!
Hummus
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 (15-oz. can) chickpeas rinsed and well-drained
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup tahini (homemade tahini recipe follows)
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water
- paprika to sprinkle on top before serving
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl, then process a minute more.
- Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and salt and process about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl and process a few more seconds.
- Add half of the chickpeas to the mixture and process for 1 minute. Scape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the remaining chickpeas. Process another 1-2 minutes, or until smooth. Mixture will be thick.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of cold water until you reach the perfect consistency.
- Taste for salt and add more is needed.
- Spoon into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
- Store in airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.
Homemade Tahini
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup sesame seeds
- 2 - 4 tablespoons canola oil
- pinch kosher salt optional
Instructions
- Add sesame seeds to a wide, dry saucepan over medium-low heat and toast seeds, stirring constantly until the seeds before fragrant and very lightly colored, but not brown. Be very careful because the sesame seeds can burn quickly.
- Transfer toasted seeds to a baking sheet or large plate to cool completely.
- Add cooled sesame seeds to the bowl of the food processor and process until the look crumbly.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the oil then process for 2 to 3 minutes more, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl a couple of times. Check the tahini's consistency, it should be smooth, not gritty and should be pourable. You may need to process for another minute or so or add more oil, a teaspoon at a time, until the correct consistency is reached.
- Taste before adding salt. Process a few more seconds.
- Store tahini covered in the refrigerator for up to one month. Stir well before using.