Hummus

The Classic!!

Hummus is an authentic Levantine dish found in the heart of every Lebanese mezza table. This is a family recipe that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s a nice treat given to a neighbor or a friend. An excellent source of fiber and protein for healthy eaters. Most importantly it’s simple!

Ingredients:

350 g of cooked chickpeas (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 medium lemon, juiced

1 large fresh garlic clove, crushed

2 tbsp of Tahini Paste

1 tsp salt

Olive Oil, Paprika, and Parsley for topping

a couple crushed ice for a smooth texture

Directions:

to make home made cooked chickpeas:

Empty a bag of dried chickpeas into a large pot filled with water. The water should be double the amount of chickpeas. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda to the water and let it soak overnught or at least for 8 hours.

Drain the water then refill the water with dried chickpeas and add 1 tsp baking soda. Place on a stovetop and boil then simmer for atleast 1-2 hrs. or until chickpeas are fall apart tender.

1. When the chickpeas are tender, allow 30 minutes to cool down completely. Drain from the water. You can place the extra chickpeas in ziploc bags and freeze for another day.

2. Place cooked and cooled chickpeas in a blender with lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and tahini paste. Add the ice as needed.

3. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes well until creamy. The mixture might get stuck in the blender. Stop it, push the chickpeas with a spoon and blend again.

4. Spread the Hummus on to a plate, and top with olive oil, decorate as desired.

For decoration slice a few leaves of parsley very thin, and sprinkle to the side. Also, add a few chickpeas in the middle!

Enjoy, or as they say in Lebanon, Sahtaen!