Sunday, April 05, 2009

the ultimate hummus recipe, ever.

Hummus always sounds better in the abstract. College hummus? Oh sure, a great idea to satisfy the vegetarians out there. But the result? Lackluster. It just doesn’t have a lot of flavor, good or otherwise. Grocery store hummus? Not bad. Too garlicky for comfort. Husband’s former roommate’s homemade hummus? Too much lemon and parsley. And those of us who do not live in New York City might have some trouble finding tahini to put in it (what the heck is tahini anyway? Anyone? My best guess is that it has something to do with sesame).

But it’s a protein-filled, theoretically healthy snack. Especially if you scoop it with carrots and celery. So yesterday I set out to make my own version. My own version that is free of bizarre ingredients like tahini and as cheap as possible (my secret? Look in the international foods aisle, where chickpeas and sesame oil are often much cheaper).

And you know what? It is a massive win. So simple and so delicious. It is so awesome (and such a representation of my “that doesn’t sound right so I'll make it up instead” cooking attitude) that I’m thinking of naming it after myself. Because that’s not egotistical at all.

But seriously. You will love its earthy, almost smoky flavor, especially when dipped with fresh veggies or paired with some fresh light herbs like parsley. And you will never go back to grocery-store, college, or any other hummus recipe again. And that’s a fact.

Mackenzie’s Hummus:


1/2 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cans chickpeas, drained

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 can burgandy olives

Blend together, being careful not to crap up your blender. Stir frequently with a spatula, adding more olive oil as necessary to create a smooth-blended paste.

Other alternatives to the olives would be adding a handful of fresh parsley or a handful of toasted pine nuts (can’t wait to try that one, but we ran out of pine nuts after making Pine Nut Porridge — which, despite being called a porridge, is delicious). Or some pimiento. Or some roasted red peppers (if you roast them yourself, you will be a happy human. But it will take you more time). I also want to see if basil or mint tastes any good in hummus. As soon as we have fresh herbs. If you have any other ideas, leave me a comment. This summer, I am going to go hummus-freaking-crazy.

1 comment:

Lucy said...

This recipe is being pasted into my cookbook ASAP. :) (Whoever decided to create 3-ring-binder cookbooks with removable, and therefore also addable pages, was a genius.)