In my mind, NYU’s cafeteria invented hummus. I had never had the stuff before, but it was definitely love at first bite. A creamy mixture of chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste) and lemon juice, it’s a great party dip (Superbowl party, anyone?) and the perfect spread for an open-faced sandwich. It also happens to be low in fat, high in protein and high in fiber. Plus, 1 cup of chickpeas has three times the iron of a sirloin steak.
Here’s our recipe. It’s a great one, but there are about 1,000 ways to vary it. How do you like your hummus? My favorite variation involves chipotles.
Hummus of the House
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1 15-ounce can chick peas (drained, liquid reserved)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less if you’re a spice wimp)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini (or unsweetened natural peanut butter)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
Put the garlic cloves in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add chick peas, salt, cumin, coriander, cayenne, lemon juice and tahini to the work bowl and process until smooth. Pour reserved chick pea liquid through the chute while food processor is running, one or two tablespoonfuls at a time, until the hummus reaches the desired consistency–between 1 tablespoon and 1/4 cup. Remove the hummus to a bowl and stir in olive oil. Taste, and adjust salt. Serve with pita, pita chips, tortillas or flatbread.
