We spent last weekend visiting family and friends in beautiful Colorado. It was so nice to escape the heat of Southern California.  As I can’t stay out of anyone’s kitchen, I volunteered to make Saturday dinner. We were shopping at Whole Foods in Fort Collins, picking up ingredients for lasagna. Cruising down the aisle I spied cans of garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) just asking to be taken home. We needed a snack before tackling lasagna, so those useful cans of garbanzo beans became a quick and tasty batch of hummus.

Hummus is so easy to make. The ingredients are easy to keep on hand in your pantry and it can be made quickly for a fast snack or lunch. Store-made hummus is often bland with little flavor. In addition to the beans, Tahini paste and olive oil I make mine with lots of fresh squeezed lemon juice, garlic and ground cumin for lots of flavor. Nothing bland about it. Toss everything into the food processor and puree away until a smooth creamy mixture is achieved. Hummus keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days – if it lasts that long. We enjoyed the hummus for a grazing-style Saturday lunch, and then took the rest on a picnic to Rocky Mountain National Park the next day.

Hummus can be served with crackers, toasted pita wedges or crudités for a snack and works great as casual party fare. It can also be made more stiff and scooped into pocket bread or onto whole grain bread for a wonderful sandwich. Try it on crisp salad greens with cucumber and tomatoes for a healthy salad.

Easy, Tasty Hummus

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This can be made a few hours or even a day ahead for the best flavor development, but its great right out of the food processor when you are in a hurry and hungry.

Yield – about 2  1/2 cups

Serves:  8-10 as an appetizer, 4-6 for lunch

Ingredients

2 – 15 oz. Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons Tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 large lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons ground cumin (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A few grinds of fresh ground pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons warm water, if needed

Directions

1) Place all ingredients (except water) in a food processor fitted with a steel knife. Puree until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a bit more olive oil or 1-2 tablespoons of warm water to thin as desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.