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Chickpea Hummus with Homemade Tahini & Green Olives

Roberta Reynolds
With these recipes, we try to take the ho hum hummus that you often see at parties (usually from the grocery store and full of preservatives) and add some texture and color. The result is a rich, lemony, garlicky, and addictive spread that your guests will go back to again and again. And because I just can’t leave well enough alone, and if you’re feeling adventurous, there is also a recipe included to make your own tahini – so much more flavorful and far less expensive than what you find in the supermarket. As an added bonus: chopped green olives garnish the plate to add a salty, colorful and rich punch of flavor. This recipe makes a lot of hummus, so is good for a party or other gathering. Feel free to cut it in half if you’d prefer.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 -5 cups Hummus

Ingredients
  

  • FOR THE HUMMUS
  • 6 cups or about 4 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
  • 1- cup water
  • ½ - ¾ cup lemon juice
  • 1- cup tahini sesame seed butter
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 – 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup minced green olives optional, for garnish
  • Paprika and olive oil optional, for garnish
  • FOR THE TAHINI
  • 2 cups raw sesame seeds roasted for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees or until light brown
  • Approximately ¼ - ½ cup canola oil
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • FOR THE TAHINI
  • Pour ¼ cup canola oil into a blender.
  • Add half the roasted sesame seeds and blend until smooth.
  • Add about ¼ teaspoon salt.
  • Add remaining roasted sesame seeds and as much oil as you need to make a smooth paste.
  • Be patient! Sometimes it takes awhile for the seeds to cooperate and form a paste. You’ll most likely have to keep pushing down the seed mixture into the blender until everything comes together.
  • Taste and add more salt if needed. This should make about 1 ½ cups of tahini.
  • FOR THE HUMMUS
  • In a food processor, combine chickpeas, water, and lemon juice. Process to a smooth paste.
  • Add tahini, garlic, cumin, and salt, and continue processing to a smooth paste.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings and lemon to your preference.
  • TO SERVE
  • In a good-sized flat-bottomed bowl or rectangular serving dish, spread Hummus evenly.
  • Drizzle with olive oil and scatter chopped green olive over the top (if using)
  • Serve with pita bread cut into triangles, crackers, or crostini.