Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip that is made by blending chickpeas together with olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. This traditional food dip is very popular throughout the Middle East, including North Africa and Turkey. The 1st historical references to hummus are found in Egyptian cookbooks, dating back to the thirteenth century. This traditional Middle Eastern chickpea spread also has cultural significance for the Jewish people.
The addition of hummus to everyday meals is quite common across the Middle East. The reason for this is that all of the ingredients in a traditional hummus dip can be combined with both dairy and meat dishes. There are very few other foods that can be combined with both dairy and meat dishes according to kosher dietary laws, which makes hummus an easy food to include in a meal, while still abiding by Jewish law.
Hummus is very nutritious because it has a significant amount of vitamin B6 and folate, in addition to vitamin C and iron. Hummus is also a wonderfully low fat source of dietary fiber and protein. In addition, the tahini that is blended into the mashed chickpeas is an excellent source of methionine, which is an amino acid that helps to complement the chickpeas and make this traditional dip a complete protein. When hummus is combined with grains, it also forms a complete protein. This makes this traditional Middle Eastern chickpea dip very versatile and a nutritious staple for those eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Hummus is often eaten as a dip or an appetizer prior to the main course of a full meal. It is traditionally served with pita bread or other flat breads. In the Middle East, it is often served as an accompaniment to grilled fish, roasted chicken, falafel and eggplant. There a wide variety of garnishes that can be used to accent a basic hummus recipe, in order to creatively individualize your homemade hummus recipe.
Some of these garnishes include chopped parsley, coriander, cucumber, caramelized onions, sauteed portabella mushrooms, and chopped tomatoes. Other hummus recipes include chopped hard-boiled eggs for added protein, green or black olives, pine nuts, and jalapeno peppers. In the United States, hummus is often served with crackers or nacho chips. Hummus can also be served with vegetable crudites, which make a nice crispy, cool accompaniment to this smooth chickpea dip. Hummus can also be used as a replacement for high fat sandwich spreads, such as mayonnaise and butter.
* Homemade Hummus Recipe in 3 Easy Steps
Step 1: Gather your Ingredients
For this basic hummus recipe you will need: two cans of chickpeas, two garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of natural sea salt, 5 teaspoons of tahini, 5 tablespoons of lemon juice, 7 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and parsley or coriander leaves for garnish.
Step 2: Place all of the Ingredients in a Food Processor
To make hummus at home, simply place all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil, into a food processor. If you do not have a food processor, you can also use a good quality blender. Turn the food processor on low and slowly pour in the olive oil as the food processor begins to mix all of the ingredients together. If your hummus dip is too dry, add up to 7 tablespoons of fresh cold water to your dip, while you mix all of the ingredients together in your food processor.
Step 3: Plate your Hummus
When all of your ingredients are mixed together, and the texture of the dip is smooth and consistent, pour the hummus into a beautiful serving dish. Drizzle the top of your hummus with some olive oil. In order to creatively flavor your homemade hummus, you may want to add your own individual garnishes. Some wonderfully flavorful garnishes to add are chopped parsley, coriander, or even some chopped jalapeno pepper, in order to add an extra zip to your homemade hummus dip.
