Snack On Some Hummus

Mention hummus and you'll get mixed reactions.  Some of us love every flavor, others don't care for it at all and many are in-between.

According to Wikipedia, hummus is an Arabic word meaning, simply, chickpeas.  Traditional hummus is made with a combination of chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), lemon & garlic.

Store-bought hummus is good, but if you haven't made it by yourself, now is the time!

Making hummus is as easy as putting ingredients in the food processor and turning it on.  

Talk about a quick, healthy snack.  Perfect to tuck in the kids' lunch, to work as a mid-morning snack, to use as a sandwich spread, to tame a late night craving or to serve to guests. 

Hummus makes me me eat more raw veggies, especially if I don't have pita chips or crackers next to it.  Unfortunately, I always prefer pita chips over pepper strips, mini-toasts over a carrot, a candy bar over an apple, etc.  I could fill in a lot of examples here.  

Moving right along... 

I'm intentionally not sharing recipes with tahini paste in this post.  If you haven't made hummus before, these are two great starter recipes for you and your family.  I love tahini and use it regularly, but it does add a strong sesame flavor.  The other reason is that the cheapest place to buy tahini is at specialty food store in larger quantities - and you might not want to commit right away.  Try these recipes first and then add tahini next time.  

With either of these, instead of canned beans, you may also cook your own.  Use some and freeze some.  More info on this in a previous post.

One of my favorites is this first hummus recipe.  I clipped it out of a magazine years ago (which I can't even reference as I don't remember which one) and have made many times.  Originally, it called for non-fat yogurt, but I now substitute the Greek variety and have listed both as options. 

Chickpea Dip/Hummus
Printable Copy

3 cloves garlic (use 1-2 gloves if you like milder)
¼ c plain low-fat or Greek yogurt
1 T lemon juice
2-4 t olive oil
¼ t salt
¼ t paprika
¼ t pepper
15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained

Drop garlic through chute with processor on and process until minced.

Add rest of ingredients and process until smooth. Start with 2 t oil and add more if desired to preferred consistency.

Serve with raw veggies (carrots, pepper/cucumber/zucchini slices, snap peas) or pita chips.

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My kids' favorite hummus flavor is Sweet Corn & Jalapeno.  The texture is "fluffier" than traditional hummus and does not call for any garlic.  And yes, it's naturally a bit sweeter, especially if you buy super sweet corn. 

Sweet Corn & Jalapeno Hummus
Printable Copy
adapted from here

2 medium jalapenos, seeds removed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 c sweet corn, yellow or white, I use frozen
3-4 T olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Add chickpeas, corn and peppers to the food processor. Blend until combined, then slowly stream in olive oil with the processor running.

Add in salt and pepper, then blend once more. Taste and season more if desired. 

Top with additional corn or peppers if desired and a drizzle of olive oil.  Serve with crackers, tortilla chips or raw veggies.

Let me know how it goes ~ Happy Snacking!