Classic Hummus

How much hummus is too much hummus? Trick question. There is no such thing.

Whenever I make hummus, I set some chickpeas up in my slow cooker and make quite literal buckets of hummus, which is why it’s taken me so long to write out a recipe for you guys. I figured not too many folks were looking for a hummus recipe to feed a small army, but maybe I’m mistaken? Well either way, I figured it’s best to start out with a “moderate” sized recipe, though even in writing that, I felt like it means something very different for the average person than it might mean for me. If you, too, would like a bucket of hummus, multiply this recipe by 50 and call it a day.

Method:

If making chickpeas in a slow cooker or pressure cooker, follow the directions outlined here. If you’re going for the canned variety, simply strain the can, adding the chickpeas to your blender or food processor, and hold back the liquid in a measuring cup. Add 1/3 cup of the canned liquid to the food processor, and add you blend it, you can add a little more if it seems too thick or chunky. You can also add a smidge of olive oil into the blend if you prefer. Mix in tahini, spices, cashews, and lemon juice, then blend. PS – if you’re looking for some seriously glorious stone ground, single source tahini – check out Seeds of Collaboration. They’re a small vegan and kosher business working to provide a partnership between Israel and Palestine through non-profit work with MIT.

Garnish with fresh herbs, seeds, and fresh olive oil. I topped this one with sesame seeds, pomegranate seeds, and parsley snipped from my herb garden.

Substitutions:

• Pine nuts are the traditional creamy nut used for hummus since the dawn of time. I do seriously love a pine nut hummus, but I’ve found that cashews are way cheaper, and just as creamy. If you have pine nuts, you can sub them in a 1:1 ratio.

• Instead of garlic powder, you can add in roasted garlic cloves for a deeper flavor. If you’re doing a sheet pan of roasted veggies, you can add in a handful of garlic cloves, mist with olive oil, and cook at 375° for about 20 minutes. The rest of your veggies will take longer, so be sure to remove the garlic earlier so it doesn’t burn.

• For herbs, I used rosemary and thyme, but you can swap basil or oregano too if you prefer. You can also use a teaspoon of turmeric or smoked paprika for some extra flavor.

• To add a fun twist and shake up your hummus game, you can also add in roasted veggies like red peppers, sweet potatoes, and beets. For roasted red pepper hummus, you can roast a red pepper the traditional way or char on the stove top. First, you can cut in half, take the seeds out, and pop onto that sheet pan with your garlic cloves and roast for about 30 minutes at 375° until soft. You can alternatively just put the whole pepper on your stove top burner in the flames until the outside starts to blister and turn black with char. Once it’s softened up a bit, remove from heat, and scoop the stem and seeds out with a knife. Add to your hummus, and reduce the amount of canning liquid since the moisture of the pepper will make your hummus less viscous.

Applications:

Obviously hummus is the ultimate party pleaser. It’s easy, goes well with pita bread, fresh veggies, or tortilla chips, and pairs with salsa like nobody’s business. But hummus is actually one of the most versatile protein sources, which is why I make gallons of it at a time. I love to add a few scoops to salads for weekly meal prepping, and even use it as the base to many pasta sauces.

• My favorite salad recipes with hummus are listed here in case you need any inspiration:
  spinach, cherry tomatoes, fresh peas (or use frozen – they’ll thaw, no need to cook), chopped red onion, kalamata olives, cucumbers, hummus, and balsamic glaze + olive oil

• massaged or toasted kale, diced and roasted sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, raw chopped red peppers, almonds, scoop of hummus, olive oil, and salt and pepper

• kale or arugula, roasted beets, fresh apples, pecans, cranberries, golden raisins, hummus, and vegan feta with oil and vinegar

• spinach, roasted potatoes, roasted carrots, roasted broccoli, fresh onions, hummus, oil and vinegar.