Hummus - Traditional and Upgraded

Traditional Chickpea Hummus

Hummus is a chickpea-based spread, often served as a dip for appetizers alongside pita bread. It is popular throughout the Middle East. As a complement to our Mediterranean dinner, I made two types of hummus. The traditional method is listed below. The second version is made with the addition of roasted red bell peppers.

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ tsp tahini paste
¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ cup water
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

1. Process the chickpeas in the food processor along with the other ingredients, streaming in the olive oil until you have a smooth consistency.
2. Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle some black pepper. Serve hummus as an appetizer with pita bread or to compliment your Mediterranean platter.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

For this second version, I removed one half of the traditional hummus after step 1. I added 1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers to the food processor and processed again.

The traditional hummus went well with the falafals. The red pepper hummus would best be used as a spread in sandwiches and wraps.