Gloss Recipe: Homemade Garlic Hummus

There are a few things that I’ve made from scratch before that have forced me to never return to the store bought version. Vinaigrette, for instance. Why buy a bottle full of artificial flavor when you can use real lemons, real honey, real olive oil?

Also, marinara sauce. During summer tomato season, I truly see no reason not to make sauce from scratch. You can even use canned tomatoes to shorten the process and you’re still getting a sauce that tastes exponentially better than the jarred version.

But, that’s a story for another day. Today, I’m going to tell you about hummus. The first time I ever made hummus from scratch, it was so good that I wanted to eat the entire recipe, straight from the bowl of my food processor. Luckily, I showed some restraint and it kept for about five days in my fridge, however, the next week, I went to make some for my mother and it was terrible – garlic overdose.

Every time since that magical first batch of hummus, I’ve managed to screw it up in one way or another. I’m holding on to this recipe, this magical first recipe, in hopes that I can one day knock it out of the park again.

Fresh Garlic Hummus
Serves 24

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus additional 1/3 cup as needed
1/2 cup water, plus additional 1/4 cup as needed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Pine nuts and paprika for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, parsley and olive oil. Process until smooth.

2. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste. As you taste, you may add additional water and lemon juice if needed and process accordingly.

3. Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and paprika.

Makes about 3 cups.

I had never cooked with tahini before and was suprised at how strong the flavor is. I thought the recipe was a good guideline, but was very garlicky. Adding a little extra lemon juice, two tablespoons of parsley and a bit more water than the recipe called for improved the consistency and took away some of the heavy flavor from the tahini.

If you like to entertain, hummus is a fantastic dip to set out on the table as a snack or an appetizer. It’s easy to whip up a large batch (3 cups is quite a bit of hummus) and it keeps well in the refrigerator for days.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes