Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Red Pepper Sesame Hummus

For me, hummus is a comfort food. I like it best accompanied by a grainy bread, although lately I've been enjoying its creaminess atop veggiful salads. I am partial to a thick consisency over the super-pureed type, so this recipe makes one chunky lump of hummus. Like soup, this dip is extremely forgiving when it comes to the amount of spices you use, and the flavors undoubtedly enhance overnight. As always, add any salt-containing spices slowly, tasting each time. Or you could forgo salt entirely, because there is likely to be some in the canned garbanzo beans (if you choose to use canned).

I added a red pepper on the recommendation of Marko, and I think that it added some nice color (and vitamins)! Often I will supplement the hummus with a spoonful of protein powder. The type I use is pretty flavorless, so I can add it to almost anything. If you choose to use some, you'll find that it really helps thicken up the hummus even more; overnight the hummus will go from pretty thick to "woah man" thickness. Your pita chips better not be wimpy.
The Stuff:
  • food processor or blender (I've been equally successful with both, as long as your blender is not from 1980)
  • medium mixing bowl (or a tupperware you plan on using to store your hummus)
  • fork, pestle, or fine-slatted potato masher

The Edibles:

  • one 16-oz. can of garbanzo beans (also known as chick peas, or cici in Italian :-)
  • 1/2 fresh red pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 to 3/4 c. water
  • 1 tsp. sesame seed oil
  • 1 T. lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic (or the equivalent in jarred or powdered)
  • generous sprinkling of fresh or dried parsely
  • generous sprinkling of dried oregano
  • super generous shake of ground coriander (if you like it with a little zing)
  • light sprinkle of onion salt (alternatively you could use onion powder generously)
  • 1 T. protein powder (I use this type)
  • salt and pepper to taste

The Making:

  1. Pour 1/2 to 2/3 of the can of beans and chopped red pepper into your blending contraption of choice. Place the remaining beans into the mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Pour enough water into the blender so that it covers 3/4 of the beans. Blend it for 5 seconds. Place the remaining ingredients into the blender. Blend until well combined.
  3. With the remaining garbanzo beans, take your smashing device and crush those babies. Continue to smash them and mix them up until they're a thick paste. Don't worry, there will be lots of skins, but that makes it yummy!
  4. Pour the blended/pureed beans atop the hand-smashed beans. Stir to combine. I would recommend refridgerating for at least 30 minutes, but sometimes if you have a craving...

1 comment:

  1. Oh, yum! Definitely my favorite recipe yet--and we were big fans of the half-mashed soup. This is not your traditional heavy hummus, but light and surprising. It is perfect for a picnic with light crackers (we used Stonewall Kitchen's Sea Salt crackers) and apples or other fresh fruits and veggies.

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