Classic Hummus

Hummus is a staple in my fridge.

Carrots! Celery! Crackers! It's one of those snacks that can immediately satisfy those post-work hunger pangs without any prep time and without getting any extra dishes dirty.

And it's not even bad for you! Nay, you might say it's actually good for you!

I woke up on Sunday and I realized I needed to go to the grocery store in a serious way.

There was one egg in my fridge. No bread. Not even enough milk for a bowl of cereal. Definitely no hummus. It was pretty desperate.



I decided to brave the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon, despite my better instincts. My better instincts were right. While wading through the seas of people trying to access the produce section, I got waylaid in the deli section, spending way too much time checking out my different hummus options.

You know how many ingredients are in grocery store hummus? Way more than necessary. "Natural flavors" makes me a bit suspicious.

 So instead of picking out a tub of hummus, I wheeled my cart around and high-tailed it to the international foods section and picked up some tahini.

It's really the only ingredient in this recipe that you probably won't already have in your kitchen. Once you have it you're golden. Throw all of the ingredients into the food processor (or blender, that's cool) and then start dipping. You'll be happy you did.

Classic Hummus
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
make 2 cups

Ingredients
15 oz. (1 can) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup tahini, with some of its oil
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice from 2-3 lemons
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon paprika or cumin

Directions

Put garbanzo beans, tahini, tahini oil, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and begin to process. Add water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth purée.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding paprika and more salt, pepper, tahini, garlic or lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.