For those of you who are in need of a good game day snack but not so much of those calories, this is for you! But for those of you who are embracing the calories, try our easy Mac and Cheese Bites (they are so very good...especially with some ketchup🤤)!
So let's upgrade your veggie board to the next level with this deliciously creamy classic hummus! All you need is 7 ingredients and either a food processor or a blender!
Oh and did I mention that our Homemade Pita Bread deserves a place next to the hummus? You're welcome.😉
Let's get down to blending!
Ingredients for this easy classic hummus:
- Chickpeas/ garbanzo beans: Yes, they are the same thing! We prefer using canned chickpeas because it's so much more convenient. However, if you don't mind the trouble, hummus made with dry chickpeas are a treat!
- For dry chickpeas, soak them overnight with water (at least 2 inches above the chickpeas). The next morning, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add them to a pot with water 2 inches higher than the chickpeas and a generous sprinkle of salt. Keep them on a simmer until you can smush them between your fingers, about 1 ½ hours.
- Tahini: Aka sesame paste. This will make your hummus creamier and gives more depth to the flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO): Also helps with the hummus' creaminess and adds some fruitiness to the hummus. Plus, it's a classic!
- Water: For thinning out the hummus.
- Fresh garlic, lemon juice, and salt: For extra flavor so the hummus doesn't taste flat!
- Optional: Paprika, cumin, and a dash of cayenne can make your hummus pop even more!
Tips and Tricks for some amazing hummus and an awesome veggie board:
Food processor or blender?
Both works fine, however I personally prefer the blender even though I gotta get all in there to create movement with a spatula or a spoon during the initial stage of blending because hummus is a tad thick for the blender's liking (probably 🤷🏻♀️). However, the blender definitely will take home the gold medal for making the smoothest hummus.
What to garnish hummus with?
There are so many ways to garnish hummus, but my favorite way is to give the hummus a swirl and drizzle it with some EVVO and a sprinkle of paprika. Every so often, I like to throw in some olives and crumbled feta.
What to put on a veggie board?
There are a lot of recommendations and how-to's for assembling a good veggie board. But at the end of the day, the most important is that you enjoy the items on your board. But here are some "guides" I follow when I make mine:
- Use an assortment of colors to make your board more colorful.
- Add meat, cheese and crackers. Just because it's a veggie board doesn't mean you can't use ingredients from a charcuterie board.
- Scatter your ingredients. Rather than bunching each of your ingredients together in one area, scatter them in small bunches in different parts of your board. This way, everyone can have access to everything without reaching all the way across the table.
Cook with love!
Mei ❤️
Easy Classic Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 cup tahini
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cans chickpeas (29 oz. cans)
- 1 cup water
- 6 Tablespoon lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons; ¼ cup + 2 TBSP)
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional seasoning:
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
Instructions
- Blend tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.In a blender, blend the tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves, and salt until smooth, 1-2 minutes.Optional: Add the spices at this stage if you want some additional flavor
- Add chickpeas and water.Add chickpeas and water to the blender. Blend for 3-4 minutes until no more lumps are visible.* You may need to pause the blender and manually mix the hummus mixture because of the thickness.*
- Add olive oil.While the blender is on, slowly stream in the olive oil. Blend until incorporated.
- Serve and enjoy!Serve the hummus immediate with a few drizzle of olive oil or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. This is absolutely awesome with some warm pita bread!
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