Quick and Easy Hummus Dip

Browse through any veggie blog and you’re bound to find a recipe for Hummus. There is a good reason for this. Hummus is really cheap and easy to make at home. It’s also super tasty and incredibly versatile. What’s more, Hummus is a nourishing addition to any diet – veggie or otherwise.

Store bought hummus has been a regular guest star in our refrigerator over the years. The kid liked it on a kind of an antipasto plate I would sometimes give him for lunch. It was brought out with nibbles when friends came over. I didn’t give it a second thought.

Then one day I was at my local library (yes, they still exist and are awesome – look into it 😉 ) and found a recipe for Hummus in a retro Middle Eastern cookbook.

I’ve always liked to cook things for myself if I can. It’s my way of contributing to the sustainability of our environment. Also, I can control the integrity of my ingredients.

Once I realised how easy it was to make Hummus at home I never looked back.

You may be thinking, “Why should I go to all that trouble to make a dip?”.

It’s because Hummus is not merely a dip.

With Hummus, the possibilities are endless. It’s great in sandwiches and wraps as an alternative to butter. Hummus is also a great way to add a hit of protein and excitement (that’s right, I said it) to any salad. The versatility of Hummus makes it a vegetarian’s best friend.

Just like Spaghetti Bolognese, everyone who makes this dish has their own version. For me, it’s all about the lemons. I like to use the juice of one whole lemon plus the rind of 1/2 a lemon.

Never used citrus rind in your cooking before? Go for it! If you’re worried about making your dish too sour please don’t. The rind gives you a depth of flavour that you can’t get from using just the juice. Seriously, whenever you’re cooking a recipe that requires citrus juice add some of the rind as well. You won’t be disappointed.

The other thing about my Hummus is I like to use tinned chickpeas instead of the freshly cooked kind. There is so much effort that goes into cooking chickpeas from scratch that it seems a shame to then mush them all up. But it’s up to you really. If you prefer to cook the chickpeas from scratch for this recipe then please, be my guest.

Makes – 300g Jar

1 x 400g Tin Chickpeas

Rind of 1/2 a lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove of garlic

1 x tsp ground cummin

a pinch of salt

1/2 tbs tahini

1 tbs olive oil

Method

Drain and rinse chickpeas under a cold tap.
Peel your clove of garlic and put it in a small food processor with the chickpeas, lemon juice, rind, cummin, and salt. Blitz until roughly combined.
Now add your olive oil and tahini and blitz again until a smooth paste forms. This could take several minutes so be patient.
Store your Hummus in a clean glass jar in the fridge. Lasts around 1 week.