Hummus
Hummus is made from chickpeas, tahini, garlic and lemon juice among other ingredients and used as a dip or spread. It is popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes and start to trend more in Northern American in the last two decades.
What are chickpeas?
Chickpeas are sometimes called garbanzo beans, chi-chi or ceci beans. They are part of the legume family and typically come in an acorn tan shape called kabuli, however they are also available in green, black, brown, or red.
Dried will need to be soaked to soften, but you can also get them pureed and canned. I’ve found that the texture ranges greatly so check out multiple brands before finding one you like. I prefer a soft and velvety chickpea.
What is tahini?
Tahini is a condiment made from toasted sesame seeds. It is ground into a paste and can be served alone, but it generally found as an ingredient for other dishes like hummus or baba ganoush.
What is hummus?
Basic hummus is a blend of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice, but nowadays there are so many variations, I can’t even list them all.
Some even use different bases like black beans, broccoli or avocado instead of chickpeas and I’ve even seen dessert hummus!
Storage & Freezing
Store bought hummus has a fairly long fridge life as long as it wasn’t opened. After opening, it is best to eat within a week.
Homemade hummus is best within 4 days.
Hummus is also freezer friendly. Store in an airtight container and make sure you don’t fill it all the way to the top because it will expand as it freezes.
Hummus Recipes
Here are a few homemade hummus recipes and also recipes that feature hummus as an ingredient.
- Roasted Red Pepper Soup
- Mediterranean Bratwurst
- Spicy Hummus Recipe
- Mediterranean Veggie FlatbreadsÂ
