Ever-So-Delicious Classic Hummus
A dear friend’s birthday was last week, so I set in motion an ambitious undertaking to make her a gluten-free Mediterranean dinner. My first step—which I knew by heart—was to dust off my time-honored recipe for classic hummus. The only tweak I made was adding the liquid reserved from the garbanzo can. This thins the hummus without adding unneeded fat and calories, like with olive oil. You see, in the past, I made the mistake of leaving my hummus too thick, and it ended up tasting pasty with the tahini. After years of trial and error, I finally struck on the right balance of tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Try it for yourself and you’ll see what I mean!
Ingredients
- 1 x 15.5 oz. can garbanzo beans
- ¼ cup liquid from garbanzo can + more to thin out over time
- ½ cup tahini
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 T. + ½ t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 t. minced garlic
- ¼ t. ground cumin
- ½ t. sea salt
- Serve with pita chips or sesame rice crackers for a gluten-free option
Directions
- Step 1 Open the can of garbanzos and pour the contents into a fine mesh strainer, which is placed over a large mixing bowl to catch the liquid in which the beans were canned. Add the garbanzos to the basin of a blender, along with ¼ cup of the canned liquid. Set aside the rest of the liquid for later use, to thin the hummus as it thickens when stored in the refrigerator.
- Step 2 Next, toss the tahini, oil, cumin, and salt into the basin of the blender. Also, mince the garlic and squeeze the lemon juice, adding both to the blender. Blend until the contents make a purée. Transfer to a serving dish and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a handful of pine nuts, and a dust of cayenne pepper. Tip: the hummus may thicken over time in the fridge, so just add more of the liquid from the can to thin out as necessary. Serve with pita chips or sesame rice crackers and enjoy!
After years of trial and error, you can learn from my blunders and benefit from the right balance of tahini to lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. This creamy mix is a welcome taste for vegans and the population at large. Try it once and you’ll be hooked!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: servings per recipe: 8, calories: 316, total fat: 17.2 g., saturated fat: 2.4 g., cholesterol: 0 mg., sodium: 146 mg., total carbohydrate: 31.8 g., dietary fiber: 9.6 g., total sugars: 5.3 g., protein: 11.7 g., calcium: 115 mg., iron: 4 mg., potassium: 479 mg., vitamin D: 0 IU
This dish is absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much, Kristina, for sharing it with the world!!
Susi, thanks so much for your comment, and I’m thrilled that you enjoyed my Ever-So-Delicious Classic Hummus! That means a lot coming from such a connoisseur of Mediterranean foods. Let’s get it out to the world!