Homemade Hummus

Can I just tell you this is the first time I have ever made hummus from scratch...and the question is...why on earth did it take me so long?  It is so super easy (with the help of a food processor) and so much tastier than any store bought brands.  Not to mention....more economical. 

You can spice this up as little or as much as you like, control the consistency, and put as much or as little garlic in it as you desire.

You can serve it with cut up raw veggies ( I like cukes and carrot sticks) or serve it with a wonderfully soft and chewy flat bread such as the one pictured below.

This Brownberry Pocket Thins Flatbread is a recent great product find for me.  It's soft and chewy and 3p+ for half a pocket.  It's high in fiber and contains no HFCS.  When I served it with the hummus, I cut each half into three, nice-sized, triangles for dipping.  This product is also great for pocket sandwiches.  My son has been taking a hummus and cuke or baby spinach sandwich to school in his lunches this week with it.  If you can't find Brownberry, look for Arnold Pocket Thins Flatbread.  Both Brownberry and Arnold are a part of the Bimbo Bakery, so it's the same product.  

You will need to purchase a jar of Tahini to make this hummus.  Tahini is sesame paste and it can be found in most larger grocers and specialty shops.  To be honest, if I can find it here in the greater Cleveland area, you can probably get it anywhere in the country.  If you can't find it, you can make your own , but I personally have not tried it. 

If you are like me and have never made your own hummus before, what are you waiting for?  Dust off that food processor and see what you've been missing!

Homemade Hummus

Printable Recipe

Servings - approx. 16 (recipe yields about 1 quart of hummus)   Serving size - 1/4 cup   Points Plus per serving - 3 Points+

Calories - 116.9,   Total Fat - 5.9g,   Carb. - 13.1g,   Protein - 4.1g,   Fiber - 3.1g

*if you take a smaller serving, 2 TBS, it will be 2 Points+.  The nutritional values for a 2 TBS serving are as follows:  Calories - 58.5,   Total Fat - 2.9g,   Carb. - 6.6g,   Protein - 2g,   Fiber - 1.5g

Ingredients:

2 - 15oz. cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

2/3 cup tahini

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, roughly diced

hot sauce, to taste

water

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients except hot sauce and water in food processor.  Process until a smooth thick paste.  Add in enough water, while it's running through the top, until it is smooth with a spreading consistency.  ( I think I may have used about 1/3 cup...but put in as much or as little as you desire for the consistency you like)  Add in hot sauce to taste. Garnish with some extra virgin olive oil (not included in the nutrition info above) and some smoked paprika, if desired.   Serve with pita, pita chips, crackers or assorted raw vegetable dippers.  It may taste a bit garlicky at first, but as the hummus sits the garlic flavor mellows. 

2.  Store any leftovers covered in refrigerator.

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This is some serious yum.  It so easy as long as you can find the tahini.  Tahini is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids. The jar of tahini I purchased has enough in it to make this recipe approximately 4 times.  So worth the splurge.