I first learned about hummus at a high school graduation party. In addition to having chips and salsa, hummus and sugar snap peas were also offered. I thought it was interesting but my high school self had yet to develop a healthier more refined taste. In high school, there was nothing better than pizza rolls and Bosco sticks. But boy is that stuff full of inflammation. In college, by virtue of being exposed to more Jewish and Middle Eastern cultures, I learned more about hummus. And I began eating more hummus.
I’m generally not a huge fan of store-bought hummus because not only are they pricey but they also contain a number of fillers and preservatives. And given how hummus only takes about 10-15 minutes to make, I always make my own hummus.
What You’ll Need:
1 Can of garbanzo beans
Aquafaba (fancy term for garbanzo bean water)
1/4 Cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
2 Cloves of garlic
Salt and black pepper
Cayenne pepper (optional)
- Drain the can of garbanzo beans. Save the garbanzo bean water (another name for this is aquafaba). We will use this to thin the hummus later. Aquafaba is a natural thickener full of B vitamins, folate, phosphorus, iron, and even some healthy fats such as oleic acids.
- Slice the garlic into thin slices. This ensures equal blending of the garlic later.
- In a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, olive oil, and garlic. Add some lemon juice with salt/pepper to taste. The aquafaba already has some salt in it. For me, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice is enough but if you prefer a more citrusy taste, you may want to add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Process until the mixture is of mulch consistency.
- Slowly add the aquafaba (about 1-2 tablespoons at time) and process until the mixture is smooth. I typically end up using 5-6 tablespoons of aquafaba.