Hummus, that fabulous middle-eastern spread made from chickpeas and tahini is a great dip for raw veggies, whole grain crackers and pita as well as a tasty spread on sandwiches and in wraps. My gripe? Dried beans cost pennies while an 8-oz. tub of prepared hummus can cost three bucks! If you have a food processor, however, making hummus at home is a snap.
The recipes below are twists on the classic version of hummus. Grind the ingredients and seasonings in a food processor until velvety and smooth and voila! You have a sophisticated appetizer for you and your friends (if you can bring yourself to share!).
Balsamic Black Bean Hummus
Recipe by Holly Larson, MS, RD
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
2 16-oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed (or half of one pound of dried beans, cooked until tender)
3-4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Load up your food processor with black beans.
- Add balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
- Toss in a pinch of salt and lots of fresh pepper and blend for a full 2-3 minutes or until very smooth.
- Serve with fresh veggies and whole grain crackers!
NOTE: I used dried beans to make this recipe. Total cost for about 16 ounces of dip? Less than a dollar! Woot!
Pizza Hummus
This is a good "gateway" hummus to get your kids on the hummus bandwagon (or eating-beans-at-all bandwagon), and a sneaky way to get them to eat more whole grains and raw veggies if you use those as your dippers.
Recipe by Holly Larson, MS, RD, adapted from the Food Network
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
1 16-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or one tablespoon fresh oregano)
1 teaspoon dried basil (or one tablespoon fresh basil)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash extra spicy seasoning blend (or dash of crushed red pepper)
1 tablespoon tahini
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place chickpeas and all seasoning into a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. If hummus is too thick, add a bit more water until you reach the desired consistency.
- Serve with raw veggies and whole grain crackers to dip, or as an alternative to mayo on a sandwich or in a wrap. Store extras in the fridge.
Roasted Carrot Hummus a l'Orange
This is a recipe that I am especially proud of! It is just so delicious and the bright orange color is really beautiful too. I hope you'll try it; I bet you'll love it (almost) as much as I do.
Recipe by Holly Larson, MS, RD
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup roasted carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice and zest from one orange
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove or so)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin (or more, to taste)
black pepper and salt, to taste
Instructions
- Roast carrots until tender and nicely browned.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or kick-butt blender and puree until very smooth. Taste (try not to get weak in the knees) and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Try this fabulous spread on crackers, raw veggies, spread on toast and by the spoonful!
