Easy Hummus

Easy Hummus

Experiment with different EVOO to tweak the flavour of this delicious hummus. I've tried with Roasted Garlic, Tuscan Herb, Harissa, Chipotle and Chili Lime EVOO, loved every one! Serve with pita chips, warm naan bread or cold, crisp veggies like carrot sticks, celery and cucumber slices.

INGREDIENTS

One 540 gram can of chickpeas (reserve the liquid)
60 ml fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
60 ml tahini
Half of a large garlic clove, minced
30 ml olive oil, plus more for serving
2.5 ml kosher salt, depending on taste
2.5 ml ground cumin
30-40 ml either liquid from the can of chickpeas or water
Dash of ground paprika for serving


DIRECTIONS

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for about a minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.
2. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice mixture. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds.
3. Drain the liquid from the chickpeas into a bowl and save, then poor the chickpeas into a strainer and rinse well under running water. Take a few minutes and pick off the shells of the chick peas…some people say it’s not a big deal but I think it makes a much smoother hummus if you do. Just rinse them around under warm running water and you will be able to pick most of the loose shells out.
4. Add half of the chickpeas and a small amount of the reserved liquid to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and a bit more of the reserved liqid process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and quite smooth.
5. Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl, drizzle with EVOO and lightly sprinkle with paprika.
Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.