When you need a quickly prepared appetiser, this Easy Hummus recipe is a life saver. With just a few minutes' work, you will have a nutritious, very tasty, smooth and creamy dip which will be suitable for many people with specific dietary requirements. Serve it plain or dress it up. Serve it with pita bread, crackers or vegetables.
a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
serve with crackers, pita bread, vegetables etc.
Instructions
Drain the chickpeas in a sieve, over a bowl. Do not discard the chickpea liquid.*
Add the chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender.Add the remaining ingredients to the chickpeas.Blend until smooth.
Test for seasoning and add salt, and/or tahini and lemon juice to taste.If the mixture is too thick, add more of the reserved chickpea liquid until it reaches the desired consistency.*
I like my hummus to have a fresh, lemony tang, so depending on the variety of lemon I use, I may add more lemon juice. Some lemons have more flavour than others.*When you’ve blended your hummus and it is smooth, creamy and ready for serving, pour it into a serving bowl. Take a dessert spoon and press the back of the spoon into the centre of the hummus. With your other hand, rotate the bowl clockwise and you will create a spiral. This makes for a lovely presentation and allows a drizzle of olive oil to neatly pool in the indentation.Serve the hummus with crackers, pita bread or an assortment of vegetables.
Notes
*The Australian tablespoon is 20ml.*Tahini is a sesame paste, available in all major supermarkets. You may find with some brands of tahini that it has separated. There will be thick paste on the bottom of the jar and a fair degree of oil on the top. You will need to stir these two together to form a smooth paste.*If you forget, and accidentally discard the chickpea liquid, just use water instead.*I tested the recipe using three different brands of chickpeas and found that the amount of chickpea water I needed, to obtain the right consistency, varied between brands. Use your judgement, add more if you like a thinner consistency.*One of the tins I used seemed to lack flavour, requiring much more salt and lemon than the others. Adjust the flavour and the texture to suit your requirements.