Easiest, Tastiest, Homemade Hummus Ever!

Hummus is one of those foods where once you go homemade, you’ll never go store bought again. I’m not just talking about a reduction in preservatives and unnecessary additives. Homemade hummus TASTES better! Plus, it's is one of the most versatile foods you can make. Perfect for snacking, makes a great appetizer; and it’s a classic condiment for veggie burgers, pita sandwiches, falafel and more.

Ingredients:

1 medium white onion*

1 clove garlic, cut into 4 pieces

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon of ground paprika

½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 fresh lemon, squeezed

2 tablespoons tahini or all-natural peanut butter (for a richer, nuttier flavor)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Roast the onion and garlic clove on a baking sheet, drizzling them with the smallest amount of olive oil, for about 20 minutes.

While the veggies are in the oven, rinse and drain your garbanzo beans. Folks are often confused by what it means to 'rinse' garbanzo beans. While sitting in the collander/strainer, run cold water over the beans until they stop bubbling.

Check your onions and garlic, they should be fork-tender and beginning to caramelize (turn brown on the edges). Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

There are two key things that will insure your hummus is deliciously smooth: put the ingredients in the food processor in the correct order and let the processor run for as long as it needs.

Place the lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini (or PB) in the food processor and let it run until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. You may have to stop it, push the ingredients down the side with a spatula and then run it again.

Now add about half the chick peas and half the onion and all the spices; run the processor again until the ingredients are nearly smooth. Last step, put all the remaining ingredients into the food processor and let it run until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy. Depending on the strength and brand of your machine this could take up to a minute or more.

*Take this recipe and make it your own. I like mine with roasted onions, however I’ve made the same recipe before substituting other roasted vegetables: red peppers, carrots, and even pine nuts.