Hummus is all time favorite snack of us all. For those who don’t know what hummus is, it is like a dip but better. Usually, we buy hummus from stores as it seems a simple way to enjoy this delicacy. But if you think about it, the answer to “how to make hummus at home” is very easy. The recipe for your favorite snack is quite simple and you can make it at your home with just a few ingredients.
What’s more? You can make your own unique hummus. This dip has a lot of room of experimentation, and that is why this can be prepared using your favorite vegetables like beans, beetroot, and more. When you have tried the basic version of the hummus, you can start on experimenting with the ingredients, adding some new things or changing the number of certain things in the recipe, to make it according to your taste.
What is Hummus and What is its Nutritional Value?
If you ask any average American, they will say that hummus is in their lifestyle. If I am wrong you can comment and point it out. As it is the lifestyle of many households, almost everyone is familiar with the term. Some know it because it is used in their house, some know it because they have eaten it at a restaurant or at their friend’s, and some know it from their favorite TV Show or movie.
For those who don’t know about it yet, it is a delicious spread or dip that is eaten with your favorite cracker or sandwich. It is made from dried or canned chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and spices. Traditionally hummus was made from cooked garbanzo beans, tahini, some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in the Middle East.
The nutritional value of hummus is quite good. There is a perfect balance of taste and health in this dish. A typical serving ( 2 tablespoons) of a store-bought hummus contains:
Calories: 70
Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Sodium: 130mg
Carbohydrates: 4g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 0g
Added Sugars: 0g
Protein: 2g
Calcium: 2% DV
Pretty neat, right?
How To Make Hummus From Scratch
While there exits like hundreds of brands of hummus, we still must try to make Hummus Recipe From Scratch at home. This would not only allow you to make the hummus the way you like it but also you will have plenty to eat generously without having the fear of finishing it completely.
Breaking down the ingredients –
The first ingredient that we use in Hummus is Chickpeas. They are also called garbanzo beans. It is used for making the base for hummus. When you use the softened beans, the will breakdown into a smooth paste and this will improve the texture of hummus. You can always substitute it with other items but we will come to that later.
Our next ingredient is Tahini. It is actually a paste that is made from ground sesame seeds, and using it makes the hummus taste incredible. You could either buy tahini from the store or if you are willing to make everything from scratch, you can make it at home.
Tip: Substitute Tahini with any other nut butter if you have any allergies from sesame seeds.
The third and most important ingredient is lemon juice. A freshly squeezed lemon will enhance the flavor of your hummus exponentially.
Next comes garlic. A clove of roasted or plain fresh garlic will add a little spice and zest to the hummus.
Lastly, ground cumin and salt help to make it taste amazing, add a little more richness to it.
Olive oil is used while making hummus to make the texture luxurious. It is also drizzled on the top to enhance the flavor along with some red chili flakes.
Tip: To make the smoothest hummus, you can remove the skin of chickpeas after you boil them. Yes, it will take some extra time, but it will make the smoothest dip that you can only experience in a store bought hummus.
Hummus With Dried Chickpeas
This part of the article gives out the recipe for How To Make Hummus With Chickpeas. Without any further delay, let’s begin cooking.
What you are going to need to make an excellent hummus:
Dried Chickpeas – 1 ¼ cups
Baking Soda – 1 tspn
Water – 6 ½ cups
Light Tahini Paste – 1 cup, plus 2 tblspn
Lemon Juice – 4 tblspn Freshly squeezed
Garlic Cloves – 4 crushed
Ice-Cold water – 6 ½ tblspn
Salt – 1 ½ tspn
Prepping:
1) A night before you plan to actually make the hummus, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and fill in cold water and cover it with a lid. Let the chickpeas soak overnight.
2) Next day, drain the chickpeas and put them in a medium saucepan. Fill in some water and add the baking soda.
3) Put the pan over high heat and let them cook for about 20 to 40 minutes. that should separate the beans with their skin. You can squish for one or two peas to test whether they are cooked or not. Now the skin of the peas would be almost separated. Either remove the skin if you want to make a smooth hummus, or you can use them as they are.
4) Set the cooked chickpeas aside and let them cool
Making of Hummus
1) Put the chickpeas in your food processor and process until you get a stiff and smooth paste.
2) Add tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, salt and ice water in the chickpea paste and process for another 5 minutes. You will get a smooth and creamy paste.
3) Transfer the almost done hummus in a bowl and cover the surface with a plastic wrap. You need to let the paste rest for about 30 minutes.
4) After 30 minutes, either dig into it straight-away or refrigerate until needed.
Hummus Without Chickpeas
Hummus can be made without chickpeas as well. As I mentioned before, certain options are there to substitute the chickpeas in the recipe. Some of them are – sweet potatoes, beets, edamame, black beans, and more. You can explore these hummus alternatives and see which one you like the most.
How To Make Hummus Without Chickpeas
For this recipe, I have used butter beans. They lend a smooth texture to the dip and are indeed budget friendly. You can use this hummus as a dip or a spread, and it could be used as an alternative to butter or margarine to make sandwich or wrap.
Ingredients required to make hummus with butter beans:
¼ cup olive oil divided
½ a medium onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon crushed garlic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 x 410 g tin (250 g drained weight) butter beans, drained and rinsed
½ tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper, to season
Making of butter bean hummus:
1) In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is heated, add in onion, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper. You need to stir while cooking so that they won’t burn. Cook until onions are soft and golden.
2) Add the beans to the mix in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until the beans are tender.
3) Cool the mixture
4) Put the mix of beans and onion into a blender along with the remaining oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and blend until well combined.
5) Your hummus is ready. You can store this in an airtight container refrigerated for up to one week.
Conclusion
I hope you like this recipe and would try it at home. Please comment if you would like to enjoy more such recipes on our website.