Hummus Recipe

This rich, garlicky spread makes a main dish out of roasted vegetables. Warm hummus up and use it as a gravy over roasted carrots, white and sweet potatoes, onions, and green peppers. Stuff it in celery for a terrific Christmas or New Year's appetizer. Or use hummus as a dip for vegetables, a spread for toast, or as a sandwich filling. It keeps for several days in the refrigerator and freezes well.

Active time: 10 minutes, starting with cooked beans. Makes 8 servings, 1/2 cup each.

Ingredients

4 cups cooked chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
1/3 cup chickpea broth, kept from cooking the dried chickpeas
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup olive oil
2 - 4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle or cayenne pepper
black pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel garlic. Set up your food processor with the cutting blade or use a blender. Turn the machine on and drop the garlic in while the blade is turning. Turn the machine off.
2. Add the chickpeas, broth, tahini, olive oil, and juice of one lemon. (Save lemon zest for another recipe.) Process or blend until smooth.
   
   
   
   
3. Add the salt, cumin, cayenne or chipotle pepper, and black pepper. Process to blend. Taste, and adjust seasonings. If it tastes right but is just too thick, add more chickpea broth.
   
   
   
   
4. Use hummus right away or put in a container, cover, and refrigerate or freeze until needed.

Tips and notes

• You can use canned beans if you are in a rush, but the hummus will be tastier and less expensive if you cook your own beans. If you use canned chickpeas, just rinse them thoroughly and use warm water in the recipe instead of chickpea broth. (The broth from canned beans usually has an off taste.)
• This recipe was inspired by one in The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. I've amped up the flavor by using chickpea broth as the liquid and adding the hot pepper.