Homemade Hummus!

Our original desire for the Ninja Blender was to fill a need for hummus. Thought there are cheap commercially produced hummuses all over (Aldi has some pretty cheap and tasty hummus), making your own is exponentially less expensive. Here's our new homemade hummus recipe!

The History of Hummus!

This is real history... obviously.
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Hummus is an ancient food from the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. Dating back to the 13th century, its name means "chickpeas" in Arabic, and it played a big part in history. Since it doesn't go bad easily, it was the perfect food for the hot and treacherous deserts of the Middle East. Full of flavor and nutrients, some people believe that ancient travelers could have lived off of hummus successfully for quite a while. 

While hummus has changed quite a bit as it has been acclimatized into western culture, it still has its two main ingredients-- chickpeas and tahini. Tahini is paste-like substance made from sesame seeds. It looks and smells a bit like peanut butter... but it definitely tastes better when paired with the chickpeas.

Ingredients!

• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1/2 cup Tahini (we got ours from the organic section of HyVee)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Lemon Juice (fresh or from the bottle)

We also use a variety of seasonings. Here's what we've tried successfully-- sometimes all together, sometimes separate:

• Siracha (it makes everything better)
• Paprika
• Greek Seasoning 
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Minced Garlic
• Dried Bell Pepper Seasoning

Instructions!

Here's the final product! We eat it with
veggies instead of pita when 
we're feeling healthy! 

1. Open your chickpeas and drain the juice into a bowl. You will use some of it later. 
2. Pour your 1/2 cup of tahini (1/3 cup if you want less sesame taste) into your Ninja/Food Processor with the juice from one lemon. Blend for about 30 seconds. This whips your tahini helping to ensure that your final product is smooth and creamy! You may also want to scrape the sides of your bowl in between blending! :)
3. Next add in your half a can of the chickpeas and blend for about 30 seconds. Its probably looking a little rough in there right now, but that is why we saved the chickpea juice. Add in a little of the juice and blend for another 30 seconds or so. Start small-- you don't want soggy hummus! 
4. Now add in the rest of your can of chickpeas, olive oil and your seasoning. If it looks a little chunky still just add in a little of the juice from the can. Blend again until the Hummus has the consistency that you enjoy!

How to enjoy!

We like to dunk veggies into our hummus, but fresh pita (or tortillas in a pinch)work well too! While you can refrigerate your hummus, you don't have to. 

Historical information was taken from this restaurant's website.