I’ve never been a huge hummus fan but my guys all seem to love it. They are always picking up a tub of hummus and pairing it with pita chips or crackers and they always pack a tub of it on their backpacking trips. They say it’s healthy and is rich in good fats and protein so who am I to deny them this healthy snack. Since I’m trying to be a little more health conscience I thought I might try to make some homemade. It was such an easy process, just load all your ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you get the right consistency. It turned out really good but I had way more hummus than I had expected so I scooped out about a cup of the hummus and made a layered Mediterranean dip.
Everything is going into the food processor. Start with 2 cans of garbanzo beans or chickpeas. Now add 2/3 cup of Tahini paste.
Roughly chop a couple cloves of garlic.
Add the garlic and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. I had a large lemon that squeezed out just the amount I needed.
Next comes 1/2 cup of water.
And 1/4 cup of olive oil.
And your salt. Now place the lid on top and start pulsing.
When you have a smooth consistency it’s done!
Sprinkle a little paprika for color and add some pine nuts.
Now for the layered Mediterranean dip, I picked out some of my favorite toppings. Along with the hummus I made a tzatziki sauce and added some chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, sliced peperoncini, sweet peppadew peppers, kalamata olives and feta cheese.
Layer your hummus on the bottom followed by a layer of tzatziki sauce. Then just add your toppings and dip with some pita chips.
Hummus (adapted from Simply Recipes)
2 cans Garbanzo Beans
2/3 cup Tahini Paste
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Paprika and Pine Nuts, optional
In a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, tahini paste, minced garlic, lemon juice, water and olive oil. Process until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with paprika and pine nuts. Serve with pita chips or crackers. You can make your own soft pita flatbread here.
Layered Mediterranean Dip
1 cup Hummus
3/4 cup Tzatziki Sauce
Chopped Tomato
Chopped Red Onion
Chopped Cucumber
Sliced Peperoncini
Kalamata Olives
Sweet Peppadew Peppers
Feta Cheese
Spread a layer of hummus in a bowl or shallow plate. Spread the tzatziki sauce over the hummus leaving about 1 inch of hummus around the outer edge. Top with favorite toppings. Serve with pita chips or crackers.
An Inspired Cook 