Ya’ll, this homemade olive hummus is legit. I don’t toot my own horn very often, but for this, I must.
I got these meaty, zingy olives from the downtown Charleston farmers market. They come from a farm in California and are packed locally in Charleston with rosemary, oregano and red pepper flakes. Earthy, slightly spicy and mouth watering salty. They add such a lovely flavor to simple ground chickpeas seasoned with a little fresh lemon juice and tahini.
Hummus is so simple to make - no need to always buy it! When you make it at home, you control what goes into it. That means no preservatives and typically , a lower sodium content.
Chickpeas. Lemon juice. Tahini (or not). Garlic. Salt and Pepper. Plus the ingredients for whatever flavor you would like; the possibilities are endless.
Here are some of the hummus creations I hope to make soon:
spinach & feta
beet!
pine nut & parsley
sun-dried tomato
roasted garlic rosemary
coconut curry
If you follow my blog, then you’re probably sick of hearing me talk about my awesome new vitamix, but I can’t stop. I used that incredible machine to make this too. It creates such a smooth and creamy consistency in less than 60 seconds. It’s magic I tell you. However, you don’t need a Vitamix to make hummus, which brings me to sharing a few helpful tips when making your own hummus at home.
- A simple food processor works just the same. I have tried using a blender in the past and have had some mediocre results. I found that (with my blender at least) I needed to add far more liquid than was desirable in the final product. The end result was a liquid chickpea-ness that tasted good, but wasn’t optimal as a dip or spread.
- Remember your basic ingredients: chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, and salt and pepper. Then add your flavoring ingredients to this mixture.
- No tahini? Tahini is basically sesame paste; ground up sesame seeds. You don’t NEED tahini to make hummus, but it is traditional and it sure rounds out the flavor nicely. I’ve seen people add a tiny bit of peanut butter instead so I imagine you could experiment with different nut butters. Additionally, if you are using a vitamix, you could add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of sesame seeds. The vitamix will grind those little seeds up into a paste, creating tahini.
- Consider cooking your additional flavoring ingredients before adding them to the hummus for a deeper flavor. Think roasted red pepper and roasted garlic.
- Not sure what measurements to use? Start with 2 cans of chickpeas (1 drained), 2 small or 1 large clove of garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed makes all the difference), 2 TBS tahini (or whatever nut butter) or 1/2 cup sesame seeds (if using a vitamix and don’t have tahini), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust to your liking.
Olive Hummus
2 cans chickpeas, one can drained
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 TBS tahini
10 green marinated olives
1 tsp cumin
hearty dash of salt and pepper
-Blend all ingredients and enjoy 🙂
Happy Friday!
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