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zesty lemon hummus

5 from 2 reviews

Ingredients

  • 1 or 2 medium cloves of garlic (go easy on the garlic!)
  • 2 15.5 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained *
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 to 3 lemons) **
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • Salt to taste ***
  • Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • Spices or herbs for topping (for instance, sumac, za’atar, paprika, cayenne pepper)
  • For serving: pita bread (either store-bought or homemade), or whatever else you’d like to use for dipping (carrots, cucumbers, etc.)

Instructions

  1. Chop or mash the garlic clove in a food processor or mortar and pestle.
  2. Add the chickpeas and grind them until they look like a gritty paste.
  3. Add the lemon juice and continue to process for a minute or two, until the hummus becomes smooth.
  4. Add the tahini and process until combined.
  5. Add a little salt, to taste, depending on how well the chickpeas have already been seasoned.
  6. Spread half of the hummus in a thin, even layer on a plate (about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick). Drag the back of a spoon across the surface, dipping the spoon into the hummus to create little pockets as you go. Moving in a spiral over the surface works well (see the video above this recipe).
  7. Use the rest of the hummus for another plate, or keep it in the refrigerator or freezer for another time.
  8. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and dust with herbs or spices.

Notes

* If you’d prefer to use dried chickpeas, check out my other hummus recipe for instructions.

** This hummus recipe is very lemony and vibrant. If you like less lemon, feel free to replace some amount of the lemon juice with an equal amount of water. For instance, replacing 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with an equal amount of water results in a less zesty, but still very tasty, hummus. Dusting it with something less sour than za’atar or sumac, like paprika, also keeps it on the mellow side.

*** Check the sodium content of the chickpeas you’re using and taste before seasoning.