Blender Hummus
EASIER
VEGETARIAN
GLUTEN-FREE
Makes about 2½ cups
Store-bought hummus is super-creamy and smooth, part of its enduring popularity as a tasty snack. The homemade stuff, however, often has a grainy texture, since a food processor cannot grind the fibrous chickpeas as smoothly as they should be. But a blender is the perfect solution. Because of its narrow, almost conical shape, it will force the chickpeas onto the blades by their own weight and thereby make hummus as smooth as the store-bought varieties. A turbo blender (like a Blendtec or a Vitamix) does an even better job, but such fancy equipment’s not necessary. However, depending on your blender’s power and torque, you may need to add a little water to your hummus as it mixes to keep the ingredients moving in that familiar whirlpool over the blades.
Lemon Hummus
One 14½-ounce can chickpeas
¼ cup liquid from the can of chickpeas
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tahini
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon table salt
Artichoke Hummus
One 14½-ounce can chickpeas
One 6½-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts (do not drain)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tahini
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Spinach Hummus
One 14½-ounce can chickpeas
¼ cup liquid from the can of chickpeas
¼ cup packed baby spinach leaves (about 1 ounce)
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons tahini
1 medium garlic clove, peeled
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
One 14½-ounce can chickpeas
½ cup liquid from the can of chickpeas
½ cup store-bought marinated sun-dried tomatoes with their liquid (about 4 ounces with the liquid)
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 medium garlic clove, peeled
⅛ teaspoon table salt
Olive Hummus
One 14½-ounce can chickpeas
½ cup liquid from the can of chickpeas
¼ cup pitted green olives (a little less than 2 ounces)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons za’atar, optional
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, reserving as much of the liquid from the can as the batch requires.
2. Place all the ingredients in a large blender in the order listed. Cover and pulse, scraping down the inside of the canister occasionally between pulses. Continue pulsing until smooth. The mixture will become quite thick. If it’s too thick, add water in 1-tablespoon increments to thin it out.
Voilà! Clean a blender without slicing your fingers on the blade by using 1 cup hot water and 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid. Cover and run on high for 1 minute, then rinse thoroughly.