The only hummus recipe you'll ever need. You can spice it up with some paprika or roasted red pepper or keep it simple! You'll want to dip, spread, and spoon this hummus onto everything.
Hummus is a staple in most modern households, though the standard store-bought varieties contain loads of unnecessary ingredients and don't taste nearly as good. Once you see how easy it is to make your own and how much cheaper it is (around $2), you'll never want to go back! You can also double or triple this recipe to eat all week because, between a few people, this goes pretty quickly.
Notable Nutrients
Per 100 of chickpeas (about 1/2 C) (1)
9 g protein
7 g fiber (25% Daily Value)
8% DV potassium
40% DV iron for all males and women age 51+, 20% DV for women under 51
40% DV folate
12% DV magnesium
PUFAs (poly-unsaturated fatty acids)
Due to their nutrient-density, and especially fiber content, chickpeas have beens shown to aid in improving glucose and insulin sensitivity. In a study conducted on individuals with elevated risk factors for cardiovascular disease, chickpea consumption was shown to significantly improve glycemic control and reduce total cholesterol (2).
Of course, hummus does not solely consist of chickpeas. The addition of tahini and olive oil gives hummus 4-5x the fat content of chickpeas alone. This fat further aids in improving blood glucose and insulin response by slowing the absorption of carbs (3).
Ingredients
1, 15 oz can organic chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 1 clove raw or roasted garlic)*
1/2 C water, divided
* I recommend roasting, though if you don't have the time, it still turns out delicious using raw or powdered garlic - my order of preference is roasted, powdered, raw
Directions
The only tedious, but most important, step to making good hummus is ridding the chickpeas of their skin. This takes about 10 minutes and is a task you could outsource to your kids to get them involved, or do while watching TV - or use it as an opportunity to be present and appreciate the privilege of preparing your own food! You can, of course, skip this step, but your hummus won't end up as smooth and creamy.
If you want to roast the garlic, preheat oven to 350F and, without removing the outer papery skin, place clove (or roast multiple and use extra with other dishes or eat plain - freshly roasted garlic never goes to waste!) on a baking sheet, toss with a little avocado or olive oil (1 tsp for 4-5 cloves) and roast for 30 minutes until soft and the cloves easily come out of the skin when pressed - if you don't have time to roast, I prefer powdered garlic to raw
Rinse and drain chickpeas, lay out on tea towel in single layer (If you don't mind it taking a little longer and don't want to dirty a tea towel, you can skip to step 5)
Fold towel over top of the chickpeas and gently roll them back and forth a few times to loosen the skins
Pick out the loose skins and separate the naked chickpeas in a bowl
Pinch the other chickpeas gently between your thumb and middle finger until the chickpea pops out
Add the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients except for the water to a food processor and blend until smooth
Add 1/4 C water then one tablespoon at a time, until the hummus reaches your desired consistency (I add the full 1/2 C but you may like yours a bit thicker)
Garnish with extra olive oil, fresh herbs, and sesame seeds if desired
Serve with raw veggies, mix into salads, or spread on a sandwich - the possibilities are endless!
Enjoy!
Xx, Kara
Sources
(1) Wallace, Taylor C et al. “The Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Hummus.” Nutrients vol. 8,12 766. 29 Nov. 2016, doi:10.3390/nu8120766
(2) Pittaway J.K., Robertson I.K., Ball M.J. Chickpeas may influence fatty acid and fiber intake in an ad libitum diet, leading to small improvements in serum lipid profile and glycemic control. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 2008;108:1009–1013. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.03.009.
(3) Jackson K.G., Wolstencroft E.J., Bateman P.A., Yaqoob P., Williams C.M. Acute effects of meal fatty acids on postprandial NEFA, glucose and apo E response: Implications for insulin sensitivity and lipoprotein regulation? Br. J. Nutr. 2005;93:693–700. doi: 10.1079/BJN20051410.
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