Your New Favorite Hummus

We all know it. Most of us love it to pieces, even if we take it for granted at times. Likely found in every hippie crunchy fridge across the globe, at least frequently. While I am definitely known to buy it at the store more than I really should, sometimes you just have to be that lazy (especially when you cook for other people for a living). Or you’re traveling. Or hella busy. This is no place for judgement though. Just adoration for this beloved simple food.

Once upon a time in a far and distant land, I’d spend many of my late college era evenings with good friends in my tiny kitchen (or theirs) learning new recipes and recreating favorite go-tos. This was a pretty pivotal time for me in more ways than I need to write about now, especially in how it shaped and enhanced my relationship with food. It was one of these evenings that I learned how to make hummus with a couple somewhat weird “secret” ingredients. And life as I knew it would never be the same again. Kind of. I bet I made hummus at least 2-4 times a month, minimum. And I definitely was NOT allowed to go to a potluck or dinner party without it. I mean, maybe I was… but that was my thing. I brought hummus. Which means I’d inevitably have to make something else half the time too (because that’s who I am…)… the joy in cooking food and sharing it with others is one of my big lights in life.

This is a staple spread at Superfresh! that we’ve had on the menu since day one back in 2012. While it may seem so cliché for a plant-based restaurant to have hummus, it’s for good reason. There are so many variations that I love, one of my favorites is beet hummus (basically hummus with peeled + boiled beets blended in). I’ll have to work on that recipe to share with you soon. But it really kind of is that simple, I bet you can do it without me.

Traditional hummus (this recipe included) is centered around garbanzo beans and sesame tahini. Both of these ingredients individually are wonderful sources of plant-based protein. And you’ve got some healthy fat in there with the tahini (on top of the olive oil we’ll add). Tahini is also touted to have anti-inflammatory properties, anti-oxidants, and many other alluring health benefits.

Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are a legume originating in the Middle East, with some documentation tracing them back to 7,500 years ago! This is a bit of a grainy legume with a nutty texture. It is one of my favorites to add to curries, salads, veggie patties, and you can even make no-bake grain-free cookies with them! They’re nutritional powerhouses that are a great addition to your plate AND they’re very affordable, especially when you cook them from the dried bean.

Some folks have trouble digesting the outer layer of garbanzo beans; you can remove it by rinsing them and rubbing them between your hands to remove. I haven’t tried the baking soda trick (cook them with a little baking soda and supposedly the skins will rise to the surface that you can just skim off). Removing the skins also makes an even creamier hummus. I usually don’t do this, but I’ll keep you posted if I change my mind! I do take plant-based digestive enzymes with every meal, especially when consuming legumes, as they are known to be harder to digest and I can definitely feel that. I also generally don’t eat legumes every day, 3-5 times a week is a good sweet spot for me.

The two “secret” ingredients in this recipe are coconut aminos and apple cider vinegar (ACV), not generally found in hummus, but take it to a very wonderful new level for both layers of flavor and health benefits (specially the ACV for that latter note). You could leave them out and up the liquid with more olive oil and water if you don’t have them on hand.

Note: In the recipe below you’ll see that I say to use peeled and SMASHED garlic. The act of smashing / mincing / chopping your garlic releases an amino acid called “allicin” (let her out!). Allicin is said to reduce inflammation and is rich in anti-oxidants.

Hummus

Yield ~ 16oz

INGREDIENTS

1, 16oz can garbanzo beans, strained and rinsed

2 tbsp coconut aminos (can sub wheat-free tamari if you’re okay with soy, just be aware it is much saltier)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

1-2 drops doTERRA lemon essential oil (eo) OR 2 tbsp lemon juice*

3 tbsp sesame tahini

1/4 tsp salt (I recommend pink Himalayan fine ground)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (if for some reason you don’t like garlic or are allergic, this is optional)

1/4 cup filtered or spring water

*if you use lemon juice instead of the eo, use only 2 tbsp water

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients except garbanzo beans to blender OR food processor and blend until garlic is broken down

Add garbanzo beans and blend or process until desired consistency (I aim to get out as many chunks as possible, until it is pretty smooth

Transfer to desired serving bowl or storage container

When serving, top with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of black pepper

Other toppings are optional - I used olive oil soaked zucchini amp; chili flakes on this. Herbs, cumin, and smoked paprika are also great toppings or blended in. Try adding rosemary or basil (fresh or essential oil) for an herbaceous twist!

If you don’t consume it first, this will last in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days.

*Always start with a less is more mentality when adding essential oils as they are WAY more potent! 1 drop can be too much sometimes - you can dip a toothpick in and give a swirl. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

PLEASE DO NOT consume just any old essential oil, they are not all created equal. It is an unregulated industry and many companies use fillers and very questionable hazardous to ingest ingredients. I have been using doTERRA for 5 years now and the only reason I do is because they have 3rd party lab test results of every single batch of oil that you can look up the spec report for online (each bottle has a code that links it to it’s spec report). To learn more about essential oils + safety click here.