Image courtesy of Simply Recipes.
Today as I sat enjoying some delicious chipotle hummus with blue corn chips, it occurred to me that we haven't shared a hummus recipe yet!
Hummus is one of the easiest and healthiest snacks to make and eat. It is originally a staple of Levantine cuisine, and is a dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas and blended with other mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, tahini (sesame seed paste), and garlic.
The word "hummus" comes from the Arabic word for "chickpeas," and only entered the English vocabulary in 1955. It has recently enjoyed great success in the American diet, with more than 15 million Americans eating hummus on a regular basis. Most say it was popularized by Jewish Americans returning from trips to Israel.
The best part about hummus is that you can eat it with a huge variety of foods. You can dip vegetables, crackers, bread or chips in it, or you can use it as a savory spread on virtually anything.
The hardest part is getting your hands on the ingredients. But in this day and age, almost any big chain grocery story (and many small speciality shops) should have everything you need.
Chipotle hummus is a fusion food. It combines the chipotle flavor - typically used in Mexican seasonings - with the Middle Eastern staple. What a melting pot of a dip!
- 2 (15.5 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup tahini (sesame-seed paste)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (Just one pepper, not the whole can!)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ground black pepper to taste
Place the garbanzo beans, water, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper, garlic, and cumin in the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth. Add the red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Pulse the mixture until the ingredients are coarsely chopped into the hummus base. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and chill until ready to serve.
Enjoy!
