Hummus

Hummus is one of those things that can be used for all sorts of things. It can be a dip, filling for jacket potatoes, salad-ingredient, garnish for a dinner, sandwich-filling …. the list goes on. It’s delicious, and even good for you. The chickpeas contain proteins, and the lemon juice and garlic are also full of goodness. I mainly eat it for the taste though; the fact that it’s healthy is just an added bonus.

1 tin of chickpeas (240g)

3 small to medium sized cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

½ tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chickpea liquid

a pinch each of freshly ground sea salt & black pepper

½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder

½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs

4 feta cheese stuffed olives

Drain the tinned chickpeas. Save the liquid in a jug, as you’ll use it later. If you soaked and boiled dried chickpeas instead of using tinned ones, save some of the water they were boiled in.

Place the chickpeas, garlic and tahini in a kitchen mixer with a chopping blade installed. Blend until it is a smooth-ish thick paste. Add the lemon juice and oil, blend, and then gradually add the chickpea liquid until the paste has the right consistency.

Some like their hummus quite firm, while others like it rather sloppy, so adjust it until it is right for you. I like mine somewhere in the middle between sloppy and firm, so that’s what I gave the amounts for here. It also depends on the chickpeas; some are more moist than others, while some require surprisingly large amounts of liquid.

Now add your flavourings. You can add all sorts of things, depending on what you have got in your pantry, the suggestions I have given gives a mild, slightly smoky flavour. Mix well and adjust the taste until it is how you want it.

To store the hummus, place it in an airtight container, and pour a thin layer of olive oil over it. This stops air from attacking the hummus, and helps preserve it for longer. Keep in a fridge for up to a week.