Recipe for Hummus

I finally broke down and got a food processor today (I know, I know ... it's been like living in the Stone Age!). My goal this summer has been to master the art of hummus, but the first thing I need is a good recipe. Anyone know of one? I would be most grateful if you would share!

Thanks.

Rebecca

Hummus (makes at least 8 servings)
Time: 20 minutes with precooked chickpeas

2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup sesame oil from the top of the tahini, or olive oil
1 small clove garlic, peeled, or to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. ground cumin, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish
juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
about 1/3 cup water, or as needed
1 tsp. olive oil, approximately

1. Place everything except water and 1 teaspoon olive oil in the container of a food processor and begin to process; add water as needed to make a smooth puree.
2. Taste and add more garlic, salt, lemon juice, or cumin as needed. Serve, drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of cumin. Serve with vegetables, crackers or pita.

That is a great recipe...

But you could modify it by adding any of the following:

1. Sundried tomatoes (with a little more liquid)
2. 1/2 a package of Ranch Dressing mix (don't knock it until you try it!)
3. 1/2 a package of Italian Dressing mix (once again don't knock it until you try it)
4. A few good olives
5. Some cooked Father's Bacon(it rules!)
6. Zest and juice of a couple of oranges and limes(It will give it a "brighter" flavor)

THANK YOU Sonja & Dan!!!!! I'm as excited as a kid at Christmas! Hummus is probably my favorite food outside of potatoes and I have been wanting to learn how to make it ever since Nik's went out of business. Friday is H-Day! I'll be sure to let you know how it turned out.

My favorite and always evolving Hummus recipe:
1 tbsp. toasted cumin seed
2 to 3 cloves garlic, smashed & peeled
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and liquid reserved
3 tablespoons tahini (Woodstock Farms Organic) or smooth peanut butter
A handful fresh parsley leaves
1/2 jar water packed roasted red peppers (Mazzeti 15 oz.)
1 lime, juiced (now called ala Chef Dan!)
10 turns freshly ground black pepper
Pinch kosher salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Toast the cumin seeds in a heavy bottomed pan, put in processor bowl and pulse 2 - 3 time. Put the beans (I save a few until the end for extra texture) & garlic cloves in the processor and pulse to desired consistency. Add the tahini or peanut butter, roasted red peppers, lime juice, black pepper, and salt. Process until it forms a paste. Drizzle in the olive oil and process until it reaches the desired consistency, add the reserved bean liquid to thin if needed. Add the remaining beans and parsley, pulse. I like some chunks in my hummus. Pour into serving vessel, drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil, top with a few good kalmata olives.

Options:
If I use peanut butter in lieu of tahini, I sub toasted sesame oil for the extra-virgin olive oil .
Sub any type canned beans for the garbanzo's.

Thanks, David. I did some research and came across the peanut butter substitution and wondered how that would work.

Of course, I'm going to have to wait another day as my brand new food processor DOESN'T WORK! GRRRRRRRR! I am spitting mad right now ... hummus is going to have to wait until another day and I am NOT a happy camper.

Oh well, there are worse things going on in the world than a food processor being defective right out of the box.

Thanks, David. I did some research and came across the peanut butter substitution and wondered how that would work.

I think that came from Alton "Good Eats" Brown. It works "okay", much better when used with the toasted sesame oil.

Of course, I'm going to have to wait another day as my brand new food processor DOESN'T WORK! GRRRRRRRR! I am spitting mad right now ... hummus is going to have to wait until another day and I am NOT a happy camper.

Oh well, there are worse things going on in the world than a food processor being defective right out of the box.

I can't of too many things worse than something broken right from the factory.

[Robin Garr]

My favorite and always evolving Hummus recipe:

This may be just a personal idiosyncracy of mine - I love garlic but don't care for the "hot" taste of raw garlic - but I find that in dishes like hummus (and also baba ganoush, which is almost identical but uses roasted eggplant in place of chickpeas ... I like it even better), if you cook the garlic in a little of the oil first, it mellows and loses that raw flavor, and makes the finished product taste even better to me. This principle also works (at least for me) with pesto.

Sometimes food processors are really picky with the assembly. I first thought mine was malfunctioning, but it was operator error! I had the bowl on the wrong direction (which was easy to do without knowing)!!! I, however, soon ditched the food processor and purchased a Vita Mix... I have never looked back!! I LOVE the Vita Mix and it makes fantastic hummus.

Well ... with operational food processor, I went to work on creating the perfect hummus. With a little variation from Sonja's recipe, I may have found hummus nirvana. My friends have requested that I now make them hummus once a week. So, thanks again for your help, Sonja, Dan and David for the recipe and to all the others for their tips. I already need to refill my Tahini supply! Now all I need to do is show some semblance of self-control when it comes to devouring said hummus!