My Family's Hummus

Most people have eaten hummus. It may be the most famous dish from the Middle East! But I think many haven’t made it, even though it is extremely easy!

This recipe is from my family- my grandpa is Armenian, and we make hummus a few times a month. Unlike the pasty texture of store bought hummus, this hummus has a little texture to it. I also find that store bought hummus has too much tahini, which overpowers that delicate chickpea flavor. This hummus is delightfully creamy and has a fresh lemon flavor. My family likes to garnish our hummus with olive oil and za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with tahini, it is a paste made out of toasted, ground sesame seeds that is very common in the Middle East. It is often used as a sauce, thinned out with water, on top of falafel.

I hope you all enjoy our family’s hummus!

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chickpeas, either cooked from scratch or from two 15.5 oz. cans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tsp salt

2 small cloves of garlic

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for plating

Za’atar, for plating

Directions

Combine all ingredients except za’atar in a food processor and run until smooth. Add more water by the tablespoon and process until the hummus is smooth and at the desired consistency. Add lemon juice or salt to taste. Transfer into a bowl, sprinkle on za’atar and drizzle olive oil on top.

Enjoy!