Pure and Simple Hummus

PURE AND SIMPLE HUMMUS

By Clea Grady of Veganuary

Making your own hummus is so easy. Plus it's so much cheaper and tastier than anything pre-made that you'll wonder why you ever bothered buying it! Once you have a basic recipe sorted, you can go on to make all sorts of wild and crazy combinations.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas

• 2/3 cloves of garlic

• 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon of tahini

• 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

• A little water

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and put into a food processor. Give it a blitz so the garlic is chopped up.

• Drain and wash the chickpeas and add to processor. Give it another whizz around.

• Cut your lemon in half and squeeze out all the juice of one half.

• Add the tahini, olive oil and a splash of water and blitz again (a bit longer this time to give everything a chance to mix).

• Scrape down the sides of the processor and give it another blitz.

• If the hummus looks too dry, you can add a little more water, oil or lemon juice (or a combination of all three). This is why the tasting part is important, as the lemon can overpower if too much is added. Blitz again.

• Add salt and pepper to taste and keep processing/adding (water, oil, lemon juice or salt and pepper) until you’re happy with the desired consistency and taste.

• Pour/spoon out your hummus into a bowl.

• Serve immediately or leave in the fridge for an hour or two to let the flavours settle (the garlic becomes less strong with time).

Variations:

• Once you have your basic hummus down, have fun by experimenting with flavours. Add olives, roasted garlic, chilli, jalapeño, basil, artichokes, fresh herbs etc. Making your own combo is one of the best things about making homemade hummus. Serve with crunchy veggies, tortilla chips, and alongside other dips like guacamole.