Garlic Hummus

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When it comes to dips and spreads, I like to make them myself whenever I can. That way I know exactly what’s in it. Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern dip or spread that is served very often with any meal that includes pita breads. There are a few different versions, based on the specific region the cuisine is from. This recipe for Garlic Hummus is one of the most basic versions – with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and tahini.

So what is tahini? Tahini is a paste that is made from a tedious but simple processing of sesame seeds. Various steps of soaking and separating the seeds to separate the different parts, followed by grinding the kernels into a paste results in tahini. Most of the time it’s made from hulled sesame seeds, but some times it can be made with unhulled. You can usually find tahini in the international or ethnic food aisle of the grocery.

This dip is a great item to bring to a potluck or office party, as most everyone enjoys this garlicy nutty flavor of hummus. You can bring it along with a bag of pita chips or even cut whole pitas into triangles for spreading on. You can also take this base recipe and add lots of flavors to make it a little extra. Some ideas would be adding in some roasted red pepper, caramelized onion, feta or even kalamata olives. Do keep in mind that anything you add in to blitz with the chickpeas will dramatically chance the color of the final dip.

Chickpeas vs Garbanzo beans – guess what – they really truly are the same legume with different names. Much like Bell Peppers and Capsicum are the same vegetable, items are named at different times and places of our world’s history. Specifically, chickpea is a derivative of the original Latin name for the legume. Garbanzo is the Spanish word for the legume itself.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!