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Homemade Hummus You Can Eat With A Spoon

hummus and vegetables

Store-bought hummus never really thrilled me. Don't get me wrong - I love hummus. I love it as a dip, on salads, and on sandwiches. But I never discovered the delicious flavor of plain, simple hummus - eaten right off the spoon - until I made my own.

Cheap and Delicious



As a recent college graduate, I'm always looking for ways to make a cheap-yet-delicious meal. And as a recent vegetarian, beans and legumes are a great source of protein that's delicious, filling, and full of variation. Even chickpeas themselves - the main ingredient in hummus, also known as garbanzo beans - can be transformed into falafel, chickpea curry, or used as a topping on salads.

Granted, hummus isn't exactly a meal on its own. But it's a great food for snacking. My favorite ways to enjoy it:

  • As a dip for carrots, celery, and corn chips
  • Spread on sandwiches as a healthier mayonnaise alternative
  • Use some oil/water to thin it out and toss with salad as a dressing


The Ingredients Make the Dish



My recipe is flavored with sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Make sure to buy your tomatoes preserved in olive oil, and try not to get one with any extra herbs or vinegar. You're going to use some of that oil in the recipe, and it will help infuse your hummus with the sweet flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes. Also, use lots of fresh basil.

I think the reason this homemade hummus suits me is the decreased amount of lemon juice. Most store-bought hummus recipes taste very sour to me, and they tend to use more citric acid. This probably helps with preservation as well.

Sun-Dried Tomato And Basil Hummus



If you're like me, and never fell in love with hummus from the store, I highly recommend trying this recipe. It's simple, flavorful, fresh, and mild. And you can always adjust the ingredients as needed - if you like that sour lemony kick, add more juice and less chickpeas.

Ingredients:

  • 1 7-oz jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
  • Fresh basil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • Salt to taste
  • 6 tablespoons tahini
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 4 cups cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans)
  • Water and/or olive oil as needed to get right consistency. I used some of the cooking water from the chickpeas.


Directions:

  1. Blend all ingredients in food processor or blender. I used a small, hand-held blender - a bit messy, but it did the trick.


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