Creamy, earthy, nourishing and comforting… hummus has become a non-negotiable fridge staple for many of us. It’s an excellent snack and a fantastic addition to so many plates of food – particularly vegcentric or vegan dishes thanks to the plant-based protein it brings to the table.
Shop-bought hummus can be expensive for what it is, and will typically come in a plastic pot… It’s time to start whipping up your own, and playing around with flavours, if you so choose. Many recipes will suggest peeling the chickpeas before blending which is a fiddly, time-consuming job. This recipe offers the ultimate hummus hack – it’s so speedy, almost effortless, and the results are incredible.
The secret? Boil your tinned chickpeas in their ‘aquafaba’ for 15 minutes. Read on.
Recipe:
- 1 tin chickpeas
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 large clove garlic
- 4 tbsp tahini
- ½ lemon, juice only
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Method:
- Tip the tinned chickpeas and their liquid into a small saucepan along with ½ cup of water and 1 teaspoon of flakey sea salt. Pop on the lid and bring to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.
- Allow the chickpeas to cool for 10 minutes, then tip everything – liquid included – into a blender. Add 1 clove of minced garlic, 4 tablespoons of tahini, the juice of ½ a lemon, and ¼ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda which will lighten the hummus.
- Whizz on highest power for 1-2 minutes until ultra-smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you wish.
- If you fancy getting playful with flavours try adding a teaspoon of lightly toasted cumin powder to the mix for some gentle spice, a few diced boiled beetroot for something sweet and earthy, a few roasted red peppers with a pinch of cayenne and paprika for something rich and smokey, or even half an avocado for something extra indulgent.
- Once you’ve perfected your homemade hummus the applications are endless… Here are just a few suggestions.
- Beetroot hummus & roasted veggie bruschetta. Whizzing vac-packed cooked beetroot through your chickpea mix creates a wonderfully vibrant pink hummus with pleasing sweetness and an earthy flavour. Slather this onto toasted sourdough, top with sweet roasted carrots, and crumble over plenty of salty feta.
- In a creamy salad dressing. Try whizzing 2 tablespoons of hummus with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of capers, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt & pepper, and some chopped tarragon or parsley. This makes a fantastically creamy, vegan ‘Caesar’ style dressing.
- Dolloped on a baked sweet potato with salad. You can’t beat the sweet comfort of a piping hot baked sweet potato dolloped with creamy and cooling hummus. A simple, vegcentric supper that delivers on all fronts – comfort, flavour and nourishment!
- With any and all grain based salads. Hummus will add some satiating fat and plant-based protein to grain based salads. We recommend a generous dollop or two on the side of nutty brown rice, quinoa and pearl barley dishes.
- Hummus lunch bowl with roasted tomatoes and rocket. Toss halved tomatoes with sliced garlic, a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Roast in a moderate oven for 20-30 minutes until caramelised and concentrated, then toss with chopped basil. Pile the tomatoes on a base of classic creamy hummus, followed by peppery rocket and plenty of olive oil.
