Lighter Hummus Recipes

BEST HUMMUS

Steps:

• Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan and add the baking soda. Cover the chickpeas by several inches of water, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, reducing heat if necessary to prevent overflow, for about 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas look bloated, their skins are falling off, and they're quite soft. In a fine-mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them for about 30 seconds. Set aside (no need to peel the chickpeas for this recipe!).
• Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the lemon juice, garlic and salt. Process until the garlic is very finely chopped, then let the mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow, ideally 10 minutes or longer.
• Add the tahini to the food processor and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy, stopping to scrape down any tahini stuck to the sides and bottom of the processor as necessary.
• While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice water. Scrape down the food processor, and blend until the mixture is ultra smooth, pale and creamy. (If your tahini was extra-thick to begin with, you might need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water.)
• Add the cumin and the drained, over-cooked chickpeas to the food processor. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil. Blend until the mixture is super smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add more ice water by the tablespoon if necessary to achieve a super creamy texture.
• Taste, and adjust as necessary-I almost always add another 1/4 teaspoon salt for more overall flavor and another tablespoon of lemon juice for extra zing.
• Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl or platter, and use a spoon to create nice swooshes on top. Top with garnishes of your choice, and serve. Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.

LIGHT HUMMUS

Steps:

• Rinse and drain the beans.
• Puree beans and garlic in a food processor.
• Add lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, cumin, salt to taste, and yogurt.
• Blend until thoroughly smooth.
• Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, garlic or lemon as desired.
• Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

HUMMUS

Steps:

• Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan; sprinkle with baking soda. Fill the pot so the chickpeas are covered by several inches of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until the chickpeas are practically mushy and the skins are popping off; about 15-20 minutes.
• Once cooked, rinse and drain the chickpeas in a fine mesh strainer. Pick out the skins that have popped off as best you can, but don't worry if you can't get all of them.
• Add all the ingredients to your food processor EXCEPT chickpeas and ice cubes and puree for 2 minutes.
• Add cooked/drained chickpeas and 2 ice cubes to the food processor and process for 4 minutes - no less! Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, if needed, to reach desired consistency.
• Season with additional salt and lemon juice to taste. Serve hummus with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and dash of paprika or sumac.

OUR FAVORITE HUMMUS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine lemon juice, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. This step mellows the garlic.
• Add the tahini and cumin, and blend until a thick paste forms. While that's happening, add ½ cup of water and a handful of ice into a measuring cup with a spout. Add the ice water in a thin stream until the sauce takes on a whipped, light and creamy texture. It will almost double in volume. It should take anywhere from ⅓ to ⅔ cup of ice water. For a thicker hummus, err on the side of less.
• Add the drained chickpeas, and blend until totally smooth and not at all grainy. This could take anywhere from 2-5 minutes, with some occasional scraping down of the bowl. Sometimes I let it run for extra time, and busy myself with another kitchen task to ensure the smoothest possible hummus. If you need to, you can add in an extra few streams of ice water along the way.
• Season to taste with more salt (I add an additional ¾ teaspoon, for 1 teaspoon total), lemon juice or cumin.
• To serve, dollop the hummus in a shallow small bowl or a deep plate. Go ahead and run your spoon in a swirl to make that jazzy restaurant pattern. You earned it. Sprinkle a pinch of paprika over the top, chopped parsley, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

LIGHTER HUMMUS

Steps:

• Using food processor, combine chickpeas, yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and garlic.
• Process until the mixture is smooth.
• Add parsley and continue processing until parsley is finely chopped.
• Place in covered serving dish and refrigerate for a few hours.
• Serve with pita bread or crackers, or use as a sandwich spread.