Creamy Hummus

 It doesn’t take me long to notice when I’m low on iron. About a couple days of me feeling really sluggish, headachy, and fatigued, I am immediately reminded that I need some good ol’ protein and iron. And I’m not going to lie, as a vegetarian, those things are easy to come by, but hard to constantly remember to eat. But that’s where this delicious creamy hummus comes in. And I’ve made hummus before, and though that batch was less tedious that this recipe (aside from the cooking chickpeas part), this hummus is creamy, beautiful, and completely amazing. I would not have it any other way.

Now I’ve had hummus numerous times before. It’s almost always from some sort of Middle-Eastern restaurant (Lebanese or otherwise), and the hummus, garlic sauce, shawarma, falafel… zOMG. The flavours are always amazing, and their hummus is wicked creamy. I’m not sure what their secret is, but I have found mine.

Peeling the chickpeas.

Yes, I know. It sounds tedious, time-consuming, and ridiculous. But the end result was so smooth, not grainy or gritty. It was excellent.

Now, if you don’t have time to peel your chickpeas, that’s totally cool too. But I cannot guarantee the deliciously creamy hummus that I have depicted above.

 And seriously, after seeing the chickpea shells, I’m a little grossed out. Is that weird? They remind me of snake skins or empty bug shells. Whoops maybe I took it too far. But now that I’ve peeled them and tasted the pure, chickpea deliciousness, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to go back to my old hummus.

I know, that sounds pretentious of me. But this is hummus we’re talking about. The perfect spread for pitas. Chips. Sandwiches. BURGERS. An amazing dip for both pitas, breadsticks, veggies, and your finger.

And the health benefits?

Let me count the ways.

Chickpeas: Protein. Iron. Calcium. Chock full of all that. And if you don’t peel your chickpeas, there’s extra dietary fibre. Bulldozer for your digestive system.

Tahini: This stuff is sesame paste, so not only does it make your hummus delicious, it is also full of iron and protein.

Garlic: Great for your immune system, your taste buds, and apparently, also a source (although not a HUGE source because you won’t be using a ton of it) of iron, calcium, and fibre.

Lemon juice: vitamin C, great for your immune system.

Olive oil: Need I say more? Healthy fats all up in the wazoo.

 So it’s up to you. If you want super delicious, creamy, hummus. Peel those badboys. But if you’re into the whole dietary fibre thing, don’t.

The fate of this hummus is in your hands.

(Too dramatic? I’m in a weird mood today.)

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Yield: 4 servings of hummus (about 2 cups hummus)

Creamy Hummus

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Ingredients

• - 1 can chickpeas (19 fl oz/540 mL), rinsed, drained, and peeled (approx 1 cup dried chickpeas, cooked, drained, then peeled)
• - 1/3 cup cooking liquid from chickpeas (reserve about 1/2 cup so you can add more if desired)
• - 1/3 cup tahini
• - juice of half a lemon (about 2-3 tbsp)
• - 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• - 3 cloves garlic
• - 3 tbsp olive oil
• - 1/2 tsp cumin

Instructions

1. Once your chickpeas have been rinsed and drained, peel the chickpeas by gently pinching the skin. The skin should pop right off.
2. Reheat in a pot of water until hot (just before boiling)
3. Drain but reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
4. In a food processor, process the chickpeas, cumin, 1/3 cup cooking liquid, tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and pepper. Add more cooking liquid if you want it to be a little thinner.
5. Top with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of pepper.
6. Eat with toasted whole wheat pitas, or gluten-free pitas if that floats your boat.
7. To store in the fridge, mix in the olive oil until incorporated, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.