We love hummus., and we have wonderful grocery stores that carry a variety of delicious hummus spreads. The offerings from a vendor at our farmer’s market also delight our palates. Unfortunately, our local recycling centers won’t take the plastic containers in which these delicious spreads are packaged. So I decided to create my own concoction.
Here’s what I use:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup tahini paste (or creamy almond or peanut butter)
1/4 cup Kalamata olive juice (or reserve juice from the can of chickpeas)
1 large (or 2 small) cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large lemon, juiced and zested
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped (optional)
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
Combine the chickpeas, tahini paste, Kalamata olive juice, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley in a food processor and puree until smooth. Fold in the Kalamata olives or add to food processor and pulse a few times.
If you like your hummus a bit runnier, add more Kalamata olive juice or reserve liquid from the garbanzo beans.