Hey there! Today I’m sharing a basic 7 ingredient hummus recipe that can be an easy and versatile addition to your weekly food prep schedule. It’s also great for potlucks, or a pre-dinner appetizer for guests!

Ingredients:

Garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), 1 cup dry/2 cups cooked
Lemon juice (fresh or not) 1/4 cup or about 3 squeezed lemons
Tahini, 1/3 cup (alternatively, sesame seeds for making your own tahini!* 1-2 cups)
Salt, 1 tsp (and maybe more to taste)
Pepper, 1 tsp (or to taste)
Garlic, 1-4 fresh cloves, OR garlic powder, 1 tbsp
1 cup olive oil

tools:

Food processor or blender
Pot for boiling
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons

Soak time: 8-48 hours

Boil time: 45 minutes- 1 hour

Prep time: 30 minutes

Step 1

Soak your chickpeas! Today, I am soaking my chickpeas for 8 hours, while I’m at work. Soak times for chickpeas can range from 8 hours to 48 hours, depending on your preference.

If you do soak your chickpeas for longer than 12 hours, I highly recommend changing out the water as it can get stinky! The longer the soak time, the shorter the cook time! More on soaking legumes in future posts 😉

To soak your chickpeas, pour them into a pot (preferably the one you’ll use to cook them in! Less dishes = saved time and energy), and cover with water. The water should cover the chickpeas by at least 1 inch, as they will almost double in size when soaked. If you revisit your chickpeas before they are done soaking and notice they are exposed at the water’s surface, just add more water to cover them!

stEp 2

Boil your chickpeas! Drain any residual soaking water from your pot, and cover the chickpeas with water (a little over an inch). Pro-tip: salt your water! This makes your beans extra tasty. All you need to do is add salt until your water tastes salty as the sea.

Bring your water to a boil, then turn it down to a low boil. Allow your chickpeas to boil until tender (NOT al denté!), about 45 minutes - 1 hour.

As your beans boil, you may notice the water start to foam. This is normal! The foam is called aquafaba, and can be used to replace egg whites in vegan recipes. You can scoop it off and save for later, or just send it down the drain.

Once your beans are done boiling, drain the water and let them cool. You can speed up the cooling process by rinsing them under cold water.

step 3

In a food processor or blender, combine tahini, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and any other flavors you’d like to add. Today, I added a thumb size piece of turmeric root for a little variety. Other ideas are cumin, paprika, roasted peppers, really anything that sounds good to you goes! Pulse these ingredients together until well combined.

Next, add your chickpeas and pulse until smooth. You may have to scrape the sides of the food processor or blender a few times so everything gets evenly combined.

Last but not least, add your olive oil. I like to add this while the food processor is running. I also save the olive oil for last because over-blending olive oil can bring out bitter flavors.

Once your hummus is smooth, it’s ready to go! Serve with chips, pita, naan, veggies, sourdough…maybe make a delicious sandwich! A sprinkle of paprika and a drizzle of olive oil make nice garnishes as well.

Ingredients brought to you by Jar:

Garbanzo beans
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Sesame seeds
Garlic powder

*Making your own tahini is super easy! Just blend 2 cups of sesame seeds (roasted or raw depending on your preference) in the food processor with 1/2 tsp of salt, and blend until creamy! You will have to scrape the sides of your food processor a few times as you blend. Two cups sesame seeds will yield about 1 cup tahini.

Homemade hummus using dry beans