Traditional Garlic Hummus (Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans)

Eventually I will branch out into dried-bean recipes, but for now I'll stick with what I've made in the past, most of which are canned bean recipes.

I buy my canned beans in bulk from our local grocer (Macey's) during their twice-yearly case lot sale. I always drain and rinse my canned beans to remove some of the extra salt/additives.

Today's recipe is hummus.

Hummus is basically bean dip made from chickpeas (garbanzo beans). It is a popular Middle Eastern food. I thought about giving a history of chickpeas here, but who really cares? One interesting tidbit is that chickpeas are said to have been a human food item for 10,000 years (Tannahill, Reay (1973), Food in History [via Wikipedia]).

The recipe below calls for 2 cloves raw garlic. You can vary the flavor by using up to a whole head of roasted garlic instead of 2 raw cloves. (And there are hundreds of hummus variations beyond that.) When using roasted garlic, I rub the outer skins off a whole head of garlic and place it on a square of foil. I coat it in a little olive oil, fold up the foil to seal the garlic inside, and bake it for 20 minutes in an oven heated to 375°F. Once it has cooled enough to not burn you, pop the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

Hummus traditionally contains tahini, a butter or paste made from sesame seeds. I used to dislike tahini. It has a strong, unusual taste -- not quite bitter, but bitter is the best word I can think of to describe it. (In doing some research, I may have been using rancid tahini. A good suggestion is to buy it from a Middle Eastern grocer who keeps it constantly moving off the shelves.) I stubbornly kept adding it to my recipes anyway. Now, hummus just doesn't taste the same to me without it, and I even like to taste it raw. If you don't like it, don't bother adding it -- it's quite expensive, though a little goes a long way so it lasts a long time (unless it goes rancid).

This recipe calls for canned chickpeas, but I have read that you can use sprouted raw chickpeas as well. I will test that and post when I do.

The spices in this variation are paprika, cumin, and oregano. For me, the paprika and oregano are optional, but I absolutely love the cumin, and I always add extra. None of these spices are included in the most basic variations of hummus.

On to the recipe. The original recipe came from Chandellé. She blew up her last food blog, but her current one is Whole Food Whole Family. I have made several tweaks.

Traditional Garlic Hummus
1-3/4 cup chickpeas (1 can, drained and well-rinsed)
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves raw garlic, chopped/smashed/pressed (or up to one head roasted garlic)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 or more teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream (optional, adds creaminess)

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth. A blender may also work, but may require frequent scraping down. Serve with pita bread wedges, pita chips, or fresh vegetables (bell pepper slices, carrots, sliced zucchini, etc.).

I love hummus with vegetables for an easy lunch.