In my continued quest for urban homesteading, foods made from scratch fit nicely into the equation. The more real, unprocessed food I can provide my family, the better
Today I am sharing about some homemade hummus I am now adding to my cache of go-to snack foods. I know, I am totally behind on this as it seems everyone already makes their own. But, progress is progress. The secret, for me anyway, is to cook your own chick peas, also known as Garbanzo beans. If you’re not too sure on how to cook garbanzo beans, you’ll want to check out this post I wrote on cooking beans from scratch.
Not only is the texture of cooked garbanzo beans creamier, they are so much cheaper than their canned counterparts. Often, the use of canned beans can lend a metallic flavor to the finished hummus and then there is the BPA issue of using conventional cans. Plus, have you ever looked at the ingredients on store-bought hummus? It’s really hard to find a brand that does not use industrialized (and often genetically modified) canola oil, MSG, and other weird ingredients that technically have no place in hummus.
All this to say to simply say, let’s omit the toxins and go back to our roots!
Personally, I like to buy the beans in bulk and cook them myself for a fraction of the price. Most health food stores have bulk bins that you can find dried beans or you can often find great deals on bulk items on Amazon like this 5lb bag of non-irradiated, USA grown garbanzo beans.
This hummus recipe, graciously given to me by a dear friend, is by far the best I have ever tasted state side. I love it because the amount of Tahini (sesame seed paste) is a bit more understated — which if not careful can be a bit overpowering.
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (find non-irradiated, USA grown garbanzo beans here, learn how to cook beans from scratch here)
- 1 clove garlic
- ¾ teaspoon unrefined sea salt (our favorite salt here)
- Pinch of cayenne (find organic, non-irradiated spices here)
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup tahini sauce (organic tahini here)
- ¼ cup olive oil (find organic, unfiltered olive oil here)
- ¼ cup water
- Place cooked chickpeas in a food processor.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth and creamy.
- Pair it with fresh veggies, assorted crackers, pita bread or use it even as a sandwich spread.
- Store in the refrigerator and use within 4 days.
This serves as your basic recipe, a foundation if you will. Don’t be afraid to play with the flavors. Sometimes I will throw in some sun dried tomatoes or other times, taco seasoning to change it up. I always keep a tub on hand because it is a quick, high protein go to option for busy families.
After making your own, store bought hummus will never taste the same. That’s a good thing because not only are you saving money, you are eating healthier.
Comments 1
Hi, you can easily make your own tahini also, and its cheaper too! In a dry pan, lightly toast sesame seeds, watch close and stir, they will burn super fast and easy. When they are a light golden color, place in small food processer with a little olive oil and make a paste, easy and cheap tahini! 🙂