Basic Hummus Recipe

Hummus is one of those things people think is more complicated than it really is.  There is only one issue, usually, which is making sure you blend it enough to be smooth & creamy.  Part of resolving this issue is to be generous with the olive oil, too, but not too generous.  The right amount of olive oil will give it a smooth, rich texture.

The other thing is that hummus recipes are imminently customizable.  You can add chopped red pepper, tobasco, oregano, cooked eggplant or artichoke, pine nuts and other items to make 'gourmet hummus' at a fraction of the store price. 

Basic Hummus Recipe:

• 1-2 cans organic garbanzo beans, drained OR 1/2 bag dried garbanzo beans soaked and cooked
• Olive oil to taste (good quality is important here. I like Filipo Berio olive oil for price and consistency in daily use)
• Lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best, but bottled is okay, too)
• Garlic cloves, peeled & minced (jarred minced is okay, too.  Avoid garlic salt)
• Sea Salt
• Blender or food processor
• Rubber spatula and storage containers (I prefer glass)

Most of these items will be 'to taste'.  Some people also like to add a tablespoon of tahini (sesame paste), but I have never found it necessary.   I tend to leave spices like black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika to the 'gourmet versions'.

Place drained garbanzos into your food processor or blender.  Add some of the lemon juice, some of the garlic and a bit of salt.  Turn on the food processor or blender and slowly drizzle small amounts of the olive oil into the mix and watch the consistency of the hummus develop.  The longer you blend and drizzle, the thicker, smoother and richer it will be.  Stop after a couple of minutes to taste the hummus.  Adjust quantities of garlic, salt and lemon to your own tastes and palate (I like a lot of garlic and lemon, easy on the salt, yours might be different). 

When adding mix-ins like chopped red pepper or cooked eggplant, or pine nuts, make sure to partially blend them before adding to give flavor to the hummus base.  Then, fold in your mix-ins toward the end once processing is done.

This will make as much hummus as you would like.  It will store, in a covered glass container, in the refrigerator for 7 days.