Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Best Hummus!

I have been looking for a long time for a hummus recipe that I love, that tastes as good as the ones at the store. (Trader Joe's has the best I've ever eaten.) This one comes pretty close. I added a couple of jarred roasted piquillo peppers, which made it even more tasty than the original recipe. Unfortunately, this one isn't the lowest fat recipe I've found, but it is the best! (From Mark Bittman, The Best Recipes in the World.)
  • 2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved
  • 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), optional, with some of its oil
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish
  • Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
  • Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
1. Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I often find I like to add much more lemon juice). Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with a bit more cumin or paprika and some parsley.