Home-Style Middle Eastern Hummus

Traditionally, hummus is eaten on fresh bread. Instead, try it with chopped vegetables, yuca root crackers or cassava “flatbread” (see Appendix B), or on a salad.

    2 cups cooked chickpeas, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for garnish

    1 lemon, juiced

    3 to 4 garlic cloves

    ⅓ cup 100% pure ground tahini (sesame paste)

    1 to 2 tablespoons filtered water, depending on your desired consistency

    Dash of sea salt

Put the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, and tahini into a food processor. Pulse for about 5 minutes until a paste forms. Slowly add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water until you’ve reached an ideal creamy texture. Season lightly with sea salt.

Place hummus in a nice bowl or small plate. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and chickpeas.

For a more traditional style, use ground za’atar (hyssop), ground sumac, chopped parsley, sesame seeds, and/or pine nuts. For spicy, sprinkle hot pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or straight-up hot red pepper. Experiment with different herbs mixed into the hummus or as a garnish.