Thirteen years ago today, I received a two cup food processor as a wedding gift.
For some reason, some unfathomable reason, when all the wealthy world was purchasing me brand new presents, I registered for a MINIATURE food processor for said wedding, thinking to my not-yet-married self: “Those full size Cuisinarts are just so…BIG.”
Well, you live and learn, and what I’ve learned is that you can make a lot of hummus in a dozen years, and you can make that hummus one stinking half cup at a time.
This is not your smooth, store bought garbanzo bean puree, but that’s a good thing. I don’t mind tasty chunks of beans in my bean-y dips. Some people believe it is worth the time to pick the skins off the chickpeas; I do not, though I have been known to stand at the counter and pick pick pick in moments of fatigue-induced neuroticism. There is something quite soothing about it, and if you have the time, it will indeed result in a more visually pleasing texture. In a past life, I had the privilege of making hummus by the #10 can in a Robot Coupe food processor, and the secret ingredient to smooth commercial hummus is adding smooth commercial ice from the restaurant ice maker that can make 900 pounds of ice per hour. You too can own a Robot Coupe, for the low, low price of a used Honda Civic. So for now, I stick with the lumps and bumps of my very small food processor.
I’ve stuck with my husband too, for thirteen years, and it’s been worth every lump and bump. Happy anniversary, darling! I made five batches of hummus you now have to eat.
I will leave you with some wisdom from my sister, who reminds us that it’s probably not worth making a double batch:
New container of hummus: “I could eat this for yeaaaaaaars.” End of container of hummus: “What is this, everlasting gobhummus? NEVER AGAIN.”
Recipe Notes:
Canned or home boiled chickpeas? Either is fine.
The juice of a whole lemon makes this hummus extremely bright; the cumin grounds it just a bit. If you like spicy, go for more hot sauce – I do at home but when I’m taking this to visit a toddler-inhabited house I just use the 1/4 tsp for a bit of tang.
I’ve been asked what tahini I use, and I will say that my current jar of Once Again natural tahini tastes strongly of peanut butter. So strongly that I stood at the counter with two spoons, one from each jar, just to make sure I didn’t get a mislabeled product. Normally I use a natural grocery store’s house brand. If you’re not sure about the taste of yours, start with less, you can always blend in more. Like during the fourth or fifth pass in your minuscule food processor.
I have found that making a slurry of juice, spices, and tahini at the beginning before adding in the heavy beans will more evenly distribute flavor throughout the dip. It will also help the motor to function longer before it kicks out that really nasty burning ozone smell. Yum. Also, please, for the love of all things citrus, do not juice your lemon straight out of the fridge. Planning ahead to juice at room temperature yields almost 1/3 more juice. That’s a lot more flavor! If you didn’t plan ahead, chuck it into a mug of nearly boiling water for as long as you can. Let Junior poke it with a chopstick to see if it sinks or floats.
What Junior Can Do:
– Learn about safety! Those can-opener opened cans are sharp!
– Dumping! Beans, salt, you name it, dump it all in.
– Squish: I’ve never met a toddler who didn’t want to squeeze a lemon, especially if you have a hinged citrus squashing device.
What Can Go Wrong:
– This one is pretty foolproof, but parents may find themselves fishing out a few lemon seeds.
Lemony Hummus
AuthorMegan LindseyCategoryBeans, Dips, Vegetarian
Drain chickpeas, setting aside excess bean water (also known as "aquafaba")
In a food processor, pulse all ingredients except chickpeas and garnishes until combined.
Add chickpeas and blend until a fairly smooth paste is formed. If mixture is too thick, blend in 1 TBSP of aquafaba at a time until desired consistency is reached.
To serve, garnish the surface of the hummus with a sprinkle of paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients
Directions
Drain chickpeas, setting aside excess bean water (also known as "aquafaba")
In a food processor, pulse all ingredients except chickpeas and garnishes until combined.
Add chickpeas and blend until a fairly smooth paste is formed. If mixture is too thick, blend in 1 TBSP of aquafaba at a time until desired consistency is reached.
To serve, garnish the surface of the hummus with a sprinkle of paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.
