I can remember the very first time I ever heard of hummus. I was 17 and was up in the far reaches of Ontario on an Outward Bound program. We were doing a ropes course and other various team-building activities and someone mentioned that we were having hummus for lunch. I was all sorts of confused, since all I could think of was “humus”, as in the humus layer of decomposing leaves and other organic material that lies on the forest floor and that I had probably just studied in school. I was fairly relieved to discover that it was a spread made of chickpeas, tahini and olive oil, and even more relieved to discover that it tasted great. Mind you, everything we ate on that Outward Bound program tasted great. Hunger is the best seasoning and with all the activity we were getting, we were always hungry!
It’s hard to imagine a time now when I wasn’t familiar with Middle Eastern dishes like hummus, tabbouleh and dolmas. But back in high school, these things were new territory for me and most people I knew. Since that time, I’ve eaten my fair share of it all. I worked in a Lebanese bakery in university and was often allowed to take home items that were left over at the end of the day. And in grad school, some of the most popular restaurants around the school were Middle Eastern, because the food was great and didn’t put too much pressure on a poor grad student’s wallet.
Despite all of this, I’d never made hummus at home until now. I knew it was remarkably easy to make, it just happened to be even easier to buy it from Trader Joe’s. But I had a hankering for it and I knew I didn’t want the plain jane kind. Trader Joe’s makes a chipotle hummus but they kind of wimp out on the heat and I wanted to taste that smokey, spicey goodness. I also knew that by making it at home with dried chickpeas, I could up the health factor so that it was fresher and contained more fiber and less salt. More bang for my buck, so to speak.
The Results: Yup, homemade hummus is remarkably easy to make, and it’s delicious to boot! Now I have to ask myself why I never did this before. The hardest part is cooking or soaking the chickpeas, which takes some forethought. Yes, you can use canned, but they contain far more sodium and a lot less fiber than their dried and reconstituted counterparts. I also love the chipotle in this. It gives it a great colour and it’s not burn-your-mouth hot but it has a nice slow sizzle after you take a bite. It pairs perfectly with pita chips and veggies, and although I haven’t tried it this way, I imagine it would be great on a sandwich too.
This makes a big batch so feel free to half it. I was taking some to my book club and wanted to keep some at home as well. You can also do more or less chipotle, as you like.
Spicy Chipotle Hummus
1 ½ cups dried chick peas
½ cup olive oil
⅓ cup tahini
2 to 3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup water
Place chickpeas in a medium pot and cover with water by several inches. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Alternatively, you can cover chickpeas with water and let stand overnight.
Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place in food processor, along with olive oil, tahini, chipotles, garlic, lemon juice and cumin. Process until it begins to form a paste.
Taste and add more chipotle if desired, as well as salt and pepper to taste. With processor running, slowly pour water in through feed tube until a creamy consistency is achieved. Scrape down sides of processor with a rubber spatula as needed.
Jan says
Best hummus i have ever had. Thanks! Used 2 chipole.
emilie says
I tried making hummus numerous times while I was vegetarian, but I could never make it the right consistency. Your trial has renewed my enthusiasm to try it again! Thanks for the chipolte idea. Yum!
Emilie
liveeatsmile.blogspot.com
Stella says
Ooh, this looks so incredibly delicious, Carolyn! I used to not like Middle Eastern hummus, since 'hummus' simply meant chick pea to me growing up and eating North African food. The schmear seemed weird. I love it now though too, and yours is making me want to make some…
p.s. Kudos on making yours from dry beans too.
p.s.s. Still jealous of your lighting;-)
Claudie says
I love hummus and how easy it is to make. However, I have so far only made it "natural" so I'd love to try out your recipe and make a spicy one 🙂
megan @ whatmegansmaking says
great idea making it spicy! I love hummus 🙂
foodblogandthedog says
Hummus is one of the things I OD'd on when I was younger. Being a vegetarian then it was one of the only things I could eat. I have to admit I got sick of it and haven't made any for ages. This spicy chipotle version is swaying me back though!!
All That's Left Are The Crumbs says
Hummus is one of my favorite snacks. I love the taste and the fact that it is good for you. Thanks for giving me another way of trying it.
claire says
Looks great!
I am surprised you say homemade hummus is easy- I havent been brave enough to try, but this looks delicious.
Elisabeth says
Carolyn-I make homemade hummus, just not often enough, Lora was right about that. I must try your version with the chipotle, since the spicy version really kicks it up.
Yumm…Love it!
Lisa @ Tarte du Jour says
Your hummus looks amazing! I love the "Middle East meets Mexico" theme with the chipotle hummus!
Elle says
Oh, i don't know–rotting leaves and twigs sound kinda goo–nah! Your hummus looks way better-like "give me a bowl and some chips and let me eat the whole thing" good!
Janet Marie says
Great pictures. This is the version we use for hummus, it's wonderful!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
This looks great. I love hummus and I love chipotle! Never made homemade hummus before but I'm certainly inspired to do so now!
Lizzy says
I make hummus all the time, but always a plain version. You've just convinced me to shake it up a bit…this sound incredible!!!
Cajun Chef Ryan says
Hummus is a wonderful and healthful item, it is a wonder that restaurants other than Middle-Eastern, Greek, Persian, or Indian influenced to not prepare or offer it on their menus.
And this one with the chipotle is amazing in flavor!
Bon appetit!