My hummus recipe uses fresh parsley to give it extra flavor. I’ve also used fresh spinach when I have no parsley, or cilantro, and one memorable time dandelion leaves. They all make good hummus. Lots of recipes for humus do not include parsley, so you could probably leave it out if you really wanted too. I have often used natural peanut butter in place of tahini. Tahini gives it the flavor we normally associate with hummus, but the peanut butter tastes good too, and is far cheaper besides. If you use home cooked chickpeas then use 1-1/2 to 2-cups of rinsed, drained beans for this recipe.
Chickpea Hummus
- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 1-1/2 tablespoons dry parsley in a pinch)
- 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste) OR unsweetened peanut butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- up to 1/2 cup tap water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Drain and rinse the chick peas, to remove any flavor leftover from the can. I do this by putting the chickpeas in a colander and running cool tap water over them for a few moments. Next get out a blender or food processor. Put everything into the machine. Whirl it around until the contents are smooth. You may need to stop the machine and push the food stuck on the sides down into the blades. Then put the lid back on and process some more, until the mixture is as smooth or chunky as you like.
A blender needs the full 1/2-cup of tap water for processing. A food processor needs less tap water. I used to prefer this recipe prepared in a food processor, but now, I almost always make it in the blender because it’s smoother and creamier that way. This can be used as a sandwich spread, a dip for crackers, or vegetables, or just eaten plain from a spoon. Some folks put it on pasta, but I have never done that.
Makes 6 servings.
Per Serving: 119 Calories; 5g Fat (34.4% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 278mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 Fat.