I am a hummus lover. Whenever someone asks me what I usually eat, the answer is always hummus. There are so many ways to enjoy and make dishes with chickpeas and hummus. In fact, I could eat hummus straight with a spoon. If you’ve ever had homemade hummus, you know what I’m talking about. This is not the same as the store bought stuff.

The main ingredient for hummus is chickpeas. This lovely legume is such a versatile bean. Call them chickpeas, or call them garbanzos, they are one of my most favorite beans in the whole plant-based world. I sound like Bubba in Forrest Gump when it comes to explaining how many ways you can make chickpeas and eat hummus. Anyway, like I was saying, chickpeas are the essence of hummus. You can boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There’s hummus-veggie-kabobs, chickpeas creole, chickpeas gumbo. There’s spinach hummus, lemon hummus, garlic hummus, pepper hummus, hummus wraps, chickpea stew, hummus with tabouli salad, hummus on potatoes, hummus on veggie burgers, hummus in sandwiches.

You can find so many delicious recipes on Instagram and Pinterest for hummus, so let me help you out on the search for that classic hummus recipe. One of my favorite plant-based Instagram chefs is Zuliya Khawaja, otherwise known as Zuzu. You’ll just fall in love with her and also her amazing plant-based recipes. I went crazy over her hummus post on Instagram and decided to share this with you, my dear plantfull people! Zuzu’s recipes are mainly found on her Instagram account, but you can also check out her website, Naturally Zuzu.

Extra Creamy Hummus

Author: Zuliya Khawaja

Prep Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans (15 oz cans) of organic chickpeas (drain one can and reserve water from the second can)
1/2 to 1 cup good quality tahini (add 1 cup for extra creamy and less for a thicker consistency)
1 large lemon, juice
Chickpea juice (from the can)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1-2 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
1 tsp pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Blend everything in a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix blender) or food processor until smooth and creamy.

Plate the hummus in a shallow bowl.

Garnish with chopped purple onions, roasted chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, parsley, lemon wedges, and crushed red pepper.

Enjoy with warm pita bread.