3 Simple Hummus Recipes (Savory and Sweet)

Katie shares three ways to make hummus, a basic recipe spiked with garlic, lemon juice and tahini. Then, for a twist, she shares two variations. One is spiked with pesto (yum! I love pesto in anything!) and another is a sweet “hummus” of sorts that you use as a fruit dip! Who would have known? Like black bean brownies, legumes can be “hidden” in many recipes. -Kimi 

Fall days tend to be full of hustle and bustle. Right now I, like Kim, am focusing on keeping meals simple. My slow cooker is busy most days with bone broths, main dishes, oatmeal and beans. One bean that has been in my pot a lot recently is garbanzo beans.

Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) like all legumes are high in protein. They are popular in Middle Eastern, Indian, Mediterranean and Italian cuisines. You can find garbanzos featured in hummus, curries, salads and falafel. Recipes are popping up on the Internet for roasted chickpeas, garbanzo bean milk and in gluten free deserts.

Hummus is one of my all time favorite ways to use garbanzos. It’s something I don’t get tired off. You can use humus as a dip, add it to a sandwich or pita. Hummus makes for a quick and easy meal or snack. I cut up cucumbers, carrots and bell peppers and serve them with pita bread. It is nourishing, frugal, full of protein and delicious! Most days I prefer to keep my hummus simple but sometimes it’s nice to mix it up a bit. There is no end to combinations of flavors.

For added nutrition I like to soak my beans over night with an acid medium before cooking. You can also use canned beans. A 15oz can has about 1 ¾ cups of beans; if you use this instead it shouldn’t effect the recipes.

Here are the two favorite hummuses at my house along with a surprising sweet treat!

Basic Hummus

2 cups garbanzo beans
½ cup water
6 cloves garlic
6 TBS tahini
4 TBS olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp salt

1. Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or a food processor until smooth. If necessary drizzle in additional small amounts of olive oil until it reaches your desired consistency.

2. Put in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of paprika if desired. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. Makes about 2 cups.

Pesto Hummus

2 cups garbanzo beans
½ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (if desired)
1 handful fresh sweet basil
3 cloves of garlic
4 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS tahini
1 tsp salt

1. Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or a food processor until smooth. If necessary drizzle in additional small amounts of olive oil until it reaches your desired consistency.

2. Put in a bowl making a well in the center and drizzle olive oil over the top. Garnish with basil and whole garbanzo beans if desired. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. Makes about 2 ½ cups.

You would never guess that this sweet treat has garbanzo beans in it! My girls where shocked when they found out how I made it. This is a sweet treat that you can feel good about giving to your kids. If you are concerned about the sugar, feel free to leave out the chocolate chips. We like to eat our dip with cut apples or by the spoonful.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

2 cups garbanzo beans
½ cup milk of choice
1/3 cup peanut butter
¼ cup raw honey
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 TBS vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
½  cup chocolate chips

1. Blend all the ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) in a blender or food processor until smooth. If necessary drizzle in additional small amounts of milk until it reaches your desired consistency.

2. Put in a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Serve with cut apples. Makes about 3 cups. Coconut oil becomes solid when cold, so take the dip out of the fridge 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, so it can soften enough to dip apples.

Katie Stanley is a dorm “mama” to 12 amazing girls ages 8 to 18 at a home and school for the Deaf in Baja California, Mexico. She and her “hijas” can be frequently found in the kitchen, the garden or making friends with their new chickens. She loves to read, hike the hills near her home and spend time with her girls. In her spare time Katie blogs at Mexican Wildflower about nourishing foods, herbal remedies, simple living, the Deaf, raising her girls and encouraging other women in their walk with Christ.

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KimiHarris

I love beautiful and simple food that is nourishing to the body and the soul. I wrote Fresh: Nourishing Salads for All Seasons and Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons as another outlet of sharing this love of mine. I also love sharing practical tips on how to make a real food diet work on a real life budget. Find me online elsewhere by clicking on the icons below!

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