It seems that everyone has some serious hummus love at the moment, and we're no exception to that! There's even an International Hummus Day (this Saturday!)
This hugely popular Middle Eastern dip is so easy to make at home, we thought we'd share with you three great hummus recipes to celebrate. Serve them with pitta bread, falafel or vegetable crudites as a snack or alongside other mezze dishes for a light meal.
Classic Hummus
125 g/ ¾ cup dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a paste in a mortar with a pestle
4 tablespoons tahini
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
toasted or griddled pitta bread, to serve
To garnish
extra virgin olive oil
paprika or sumac
finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Serves 6
Soak the chickpeas/garbanzo beans overnight in plenty of cold water with the bicarbonate of soda/baking soda.
Next day, drain and rinse. Put in a large pan, add enough fresh cold water to cover well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 50–60 minutes until tender, skimming off any scum. Season the chickpeas with salt, then drain, reserving the cooking water and setting aside 1 tablespoon of the cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans for the garnish.
In a food processor, blend together the cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans, garlic, tahini and lemon juice. Gradually add in the cooking liquid until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Season with salt.
Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl. To serve, make a shallow hollow in the centre using the back of a spoon. Pour in a little olive oil, top with the reserved whole chickpeas/garbanzo beans, a sprinkle of paprika or sumac and the chopped parsley.
Sweet Potato Hummus
This velvety smooth sweet potato hummus dip makes an interesting change from the more familiar chickpea-only version.
1 sweet potato, unpeeled
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
½ x 400-g/14-oz. can of chickpeas/ garbanzos
1 fresh red chilli/chile, finely chopped
a handful of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of ½ a lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper
serves 4-6
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4. Roast the sweet potato in a roasting pan for 30–40 minutes until very soft. Add the garlic cloves to the pan about 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins from the sweet potato and garlic cloves. Put in a food processor along with the chickpeas, chilli/chile, coriander/cilantro, olive oil and lime zest and blitz until it reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.
Beetroot Hummus
This is a sophisticated dip that’s sure to wow party guests with its vivid colour.
140 g/1 cup canned chickpeas/ garbanzos, drained and rinsed
250 g/2 scant cups beetroot/beets, cooked and cubed
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
2–3 pinches of sea salt flakes
micro herbs such as pea shoots, to garnish
Serves 4–6
To make the hummus, put all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
Spoon the hummus into a bowl and garnish with a few pea shoots. Here it is served with squid ink crackers, which look great with the right red hummus and create a slightly sweet and salty flavour combination that is delicious.