Hummus Recipes: Traditional and Fusion Hummus Shiny Happy Carrot Hummus Ingredients 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup) 1/4 cup water 2-3 cloves garlic 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas 2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste 1/2 tbsp. tahini 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. ginger paste (or 1/4 tsp. finely minced ginger) pinch cayenne 1/4 tsp. paprika Instructions On the stove or in the microwave, cook the carrots in the water, covered, until the carrots are just tender. (I nuked ‘em for 2 1/2 minutes.) Put the carrots, water, and garlic into the food processor and puree. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, and salt to the processor and puree until smooth. At this point, you can stop and have a very simple, very light hummus. Or add the remaining ingredients and blend well. Serve as a dip, a sandwich filling, or a salad dressing. Green Olive Hummus Makes about 3 cups. Ingredients 3 large cloves garlic 2 cans (or 3 cups) chickpeas, rinsed and drained juice of one lemon 1/2 cup green olives (stuffed with pimentos) 2 tablespoons water or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon tahini 1/4 tsp. sumac, optional 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper salt, to taste 5-6 more olives Instructions Chop the garlic in the food processor. Add the chickpeas and lemon juice, and coarsely chop. Add the green olives, water or broth, tahini, and seasonings, and process until everything is mixed. (This will not be a smooth type of hummus, but all ingredients should be well-distributed.) Taste for saltiness, and add salt if needed (the olives make it pretty salty already.) Process to blend in the salt, and then add the remaining 5-6 olives. Pulse a few times just to barely chop the olives. Serve with crackers, pita bread, or crudités or as a sandwich filling. Slow Roasted Tomato Hummus (Makes about 1 1/2 cups hummus. Recipe created by Kalyn, with much tasting along the way and inspiration from other blogs.) Ingredients: 1/2 cup slow roasted tomatoes (or use scant 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes and a little water) 1 can (15.5 oz.) garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) 2 T garlic puree (or less if you're not a huge garlic fan) 1/4 cup tahini sauce 2-3 T fresh lemon juice (start with 2 T and taste) 2 T olive oil, plus more for drizzling on finished hummus if desired 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp. sea salt, or to taste Optional: Sumac for sprinkling on finished hummus Instructions: (You will need a food processor to make this successfully. There are many good brands, but I love my Cuisinart Food Processor DLC 10.) Drain garbanzo beans into colander, then rinse well with cold water until no more foam appears. Leave beans in colander to continue draining. In bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, place tomatoes and garlic. Process about 30 seconds, or slightly longer for sun-dried tomatoes. Add drained beans, process about 1-2 minutes, until beans and tomatoes are completely blended together. Add tahini sauce, 2 T lemon juice, olive oil, and half the water and process 30 seconds to one minute more, until all ingredients are well blended. Check the thickness and see if you want to use the other 2 tablespoons of water. Taste to decide whether to add more lemon juice and salt, add if desired and process a few seconds more. This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks if it's in a container with a tight lid. Serve with pita bread, lavash, crackers, celery sticks, carrots, or red pepper strips. Beet Hummus Beet Hummus (photo) Larger photo Colorful beet hummus made with cooked red beets, sesame seed tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin. Yield: Makes 2 cups. INGREDIENTS 1/2 pound beets (about 4 medium sized beets), scrubbed clean, cooked, peeled, and cubed* 2 Tbsp tahini sesame seed paste 5 Tbsp lemon juice 1 small clove garlic, chopped 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp lemon zest (zest from approx. 2 lemons) Generous pinch of sea salt or Kosher salt Fresh ground pepper to taste *To cook the beets, cut off any tops, scrub the roots clean, put them in a covered dish with about 1/4-inch of water in a 375°F oven, and cook until easily penetrated with a knife or fork. Alternatively, cover with water in a saucepan and simmer until tender, about 1/2 hour. Peel once they have cooled. METHOD Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and ingredients as desired. Chill and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage. Eat with pita chips, or with sliced cucumber or celery, or on a crostini with goat cheese and shaved mint. 1 c dried beans = 2 c cooked = 2 c hummus. 3 c cooked chickpeas/ garbanzo beans = approx 1 lb cooked beans Chickpeas are also known as Garbanzo beans. They are sometimes also referred to as Egyptian beans, but so are fava beans, so I avoid this term. Best taste if you pressure cook the beans yourself with a little soy sauce and oil.. plus much cheaper. TRADITIONAL With food processor or potato ricer or a mashing fork: One lb can cooked chickpeas, drained. 2 T tahini paste. 2 T lemon juice. 1 clove garlic, crushed. Salt and pepper to taste. Maura prefers less tahini and lemon juice in the hummus. : In a food processor: 6 c cooked beans, drained. 1.5 c bean juice or water with a bit of soy sauce 2 - 4 T tahini 2 T lemon juice garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin if desired. Smooth the hummus into a bowl and swirl the top with a spoon. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with chapatti or salad veggies cut into finger-food size. FUSION Mayonnaise in the bean spread is the secret ingredient that makes this appealing to Western palates. Hellman's is recommended; other brands may be too sweet. If you thin this with taco sauce, mayo and/or extra water it makes a substantial and delicious dressing for salad. Black beans can be used as well, in a ratio of 2:1, black beans: garbanzo. Mash together: Cooked or canned chickpeas Enough mayonnaise to bind the beans together and to give them a tangy taste Cumin, to taste Salt and/ or pepper if needed. Scrape into bowl and mix in grated cheese, if desired. Lettuce, taco sauce and olives are other possibilities. In the food processor: 6 c cooked beans, drained 2 t cumin 1 t salt 1/2 c mayo 1 c water or bean juice After processing, add any of the following: Grated or finely chopped cheddar (1/4 -1/2 lb) Lettuce (1/2 head), finely sliced or chopped 1/4 c Taco sauce 5-6 oz Finely chopped olives