Hummus is a delicious spread, made with chickpeas. I have tweaked this basic recipe for many years to make it just right for my taste and I hope you like it too. I like my hummus to be very garlicky and tasting strongly of cumin with a well-balanced lemon aftertaste. When you make this recipe, keep this in mind and adjust it to your taste if necessary.

This recipe hits the right note in so many ways. It is batch cooking, it is freezable and it is using ingredients with a low carbon footprint. This is why I end up doing a big batch of hummus at least once a month. A good hummus can be used in so many ways, spreading on a piece of bread instead of using butter, dipping vegetables in, as a pasta sauce or dressing for all kinds of salads.

Tahini or not

I use tahini in my hummus, as I think it brings another dimension to the spread, but if you prefer not to use it, or if you cannot easily get a hold of it, you can omit it. If you feel the hummus gets too thick without tahini, then you can always add a bit of aquafaba, the liquid that chickpeas in a can come in.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are an easy way to add extra protein into your diet, and I use it a lot for all kinds of recipes. And a bowl of hummus is always nice to put on the table to whatever snacks you are eating. Vegetables, crackers, chips, bread sticks, a chunk of bread. The possibilities are endless for this versatile delicious spread.

Freezable

I often make a huge batch of regular hummus, pack it in portion-size containers and stick in the freezer. They last for at least three months in the freezer, but I have sometimes had it for even longer and they are just as good. These portion-size cups are easy to throw in my lunch bag with some cut vegetables or crackers, and by the time lunch comes around, the hummus has defrosted in the bag. Give it a stir with a spoon and it will taste just like freshly made. The portion-size containers I use are the ones you get sauce in when you get a takeaway and they are perfect for this purpose.

During the summer I always have a big batch of hummus of all varieties in the freezer, ready to bring to any picnic or potluck. This big batch usually lasts for a few months in the freezer, then it is back to making another big batch for the end of summer.

Variations

There are several variations and additions to this very basic hummus recipe and I will keep sharing them with you here as I work on them some more. So come back to not miss out. My latest creation is a vivid pink beetroot hummus that will brighten up any picnic table. Or a warm, spicy version with my wasabi hummus.