blender hummus

i love spreads made with beans. 

when i wrote lovesandwich, my second collection of recipes, blender hummus was on the list, but i swapped it out at the last minute for white bean pate thinking that was somehow more special than hummus.

i recently read an incredible book that sort of change my mind about the specialness of homemade hummus: the homemade pantry: 101 foods you can stop buying and start making, by alana chernila. 

the book is organized the way the aisles of a grocery store are: dairy, cereals and snacks, condiments, spices and spreads, and has recipes for everything from marshmallows to sauerkraut. many of the recipes in this book have just 3 to 6 ingredients, but the same product bought in the store might have twice as many, none of them things you would grab at the store on the way home from work.

grocery store hummus: i'm glad you are there for me, but when i have time, homemade is better. i particularly like to serve spreads paired with raw vegetables instead of crackers or bread. delicious tucked in a lunchbox; homemade hummus dresses up nicely for potlucks and picnics.

blender hummus
yields one pint

1 15 oz can chickpeas 

6 tbsp. tahini

4-5 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c. water

1 medium clove garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. coriander

1. drain and rinse chickpeas with hot water.

2. combine all in a blender jar and blend until very smooth.

2. depending on the type of blender you have you may need to add 1-2 tbsp. more water to get everything moving.

3. optional garnishing step: spread hummus on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. add cumin,

paprika, aleppo pepper and chopped parsley to your taste and serve with crunchy vegetables like cucumbers, celery, carrots and bell peppers.